University Union Plans Strike Over World Bank Project 
P.M. News (Lagos) July 19, 2000 
By Victor Ofure Osehobo/Benin 

"Lagos - As the World Bank identification mission worries Abuja to reach an agreement with Nigerian education officials to identify the objective of the 'Nigerian Universities System Innovation Project', the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is warming up for what its officials in Benin call "the mother of all strikes," which may last two years. 

The strike which could last for that long or more, P.M. News gathered will happen if the Federal Government opts for the World Bank version of autonomy by introducing tuition fees in universities and adopts the creation of HIV/AIDS testing centres in Nigerian universities as requested by the bank in line with the agreement President Olusegun Obasanjo reached with the President of the bank early in the year. 

The World Bank mission which will spend two weeks, it was also gathered, is expected by Federal Universities Vice Chancellors, many of whom are keen on the controversial autonomy package, even at the expense of the educational aspiration of Nigerian youths. 

The mission, we learnt, is expected to organise a two-day seminar on international experience with higher education innovation for universities, National Universities Commission (NUC) and Education Ministry officials. It would in addition assess the relevance of Nigerian university graduates to the labour market and evaluate the technical feasibility and cost effectiveness of a possible project implementation. 

The World Bank Project for Nigerian universities is coming on the heels of the six-year Federal Universities Development Sector Adjustment Credit (valued at $120 million, of which $80 million was cancelled in 1996). ASUU says that the Federal Government wants to sacrifice university education for the UBE in a move that could threaten Nigeria's nascent democracy. 

Dr. Uye Ekpen Ogbeide, the Benin Zonal Coordinator of ASUU told P.M. News in Benin that ASUU remains opposed to commercialisation of Nigerian universities and is prepared to resist any policy or project that will stifle the development of the universities."