Prof. Chris Piwuna, a Psychiatric Consultant at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and the institution’s Dean of Student Affairs, has emerged as the new President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Piwuna was elected at the union’s 23rd National Delegates Congress (NDC) held at the University of Benin, Edo State, where he defeated Prof. Adamu Babayo of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, in a closely contested race.
He succeeds Prof. Victor Osodeke, a professor of Soil Science at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.
The NDC, comprising delegates from universities nationwide, deliberated on critical issues facing Nigeria’s tertiary education sector and elected new national officers to steer the union forward.
Piwuna assumes the ASUU presidency at a pivotal time, with universities grappling with challenges such as inadequate funding, unresolved Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), brain drain, concerns over institutional autonomy, and the need for improved welfare for academic staff.
His leadership is expected to shape the union’s negotiations with the government and drive strategic efforts to resolve these long-standing issues.
