IMPACT OF 2022 ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU) STRIKE ON LECTURERS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN SOUTH EAST, GEO-POLITICAL ZONE

Abstract

The study investigated impact of 2022 academic staff union of universities (ASUU) strike on lecturers and academic performance of university students in South East, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of all 400 level undergraduates’ of 2023/2024 academic session and academic staff in the 10 public universities in South East geopolitical zone. The total population for undergraduates is 93,126 and 23172 for academic staff. The sample size was 600 undergraduates and 400 academic staff, selected through simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The questionnaire was validated by three experts, two in Sociology of Education; one in Measurement and Evaluation, all from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The reliability was calculated using Cronbach Alpha for each of the subsections; 0.83, 0.80 and 0.81 were the scores obtained for the subsections. Mean rating was used for data analysis. The findings of the study showed that the 2022 ASUU strike had a profound impact on lecturers and the academic performance of undergraduates in South East Nigeria. On the part of lecturers, the findings showed strike led to stress and frustration, imagine couples who are lecturers, were not paid salaries for 8 months; it caused untold hardship which led to the death of many lecturers. Some also died as a result of sudden sickness. Some lecturers converted their private cars for commercial use and some withdrew their children from school as they could not afford payment of their school fees. On the part of the students, the findings of this study showed that 2022 ASUU strike affected academic performance of undergraduates students in South East Geo-political zone. This is because during 2022 ASUU strike students lost interest in studies during ASUU strike and the strike led to a lack of continuity in studies, causing students to fall behind in their coursework. Students struggle to keep up with their peers for academic purposes during strike and the absence of lectures and tutorials meant that students missed out on crucial learning opportunities among other things. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that 2022 ASUU strike has negative effect on university students’ academic performance in South East Geo-political Zone. Consequently, federal government should do the needful to avert incessant ASUU strike because of the negative effect it has on students’ academic performance. The agreement reached by ASUU and Federal Government in the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU)have not been met. Federal Government should make a bold step and implement all agreed to avert future strike.