The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns over the growing practice of converting non-teaching staff into academic positions in some public universities, warning that such moves must follow established procedures and merit-based standards.
ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, disclosed the union’s position during a news conference in Jos, Plateau State, where he expressed concern over what he described as an increasing trend involving registrars, bursars and other administrative and technical personnel moving into the teaching cadre without due process. (Peoples Gazette Nigeria)
According to Piwuna, some university employees have sought conversion to academic positions after obtaining postgraduate qualifications, particularly doctoral degrees. He, however, stressed that possessing an advanced academic qualification alone should not automatically qualify a non-teaching staff member for appointment as a lecturer.
He alleged that, in some instances, deputy registrars with PhDs had been converted directly to Lecturer I positions, with personalised salary arrangements, rather than being subjected to the recruitment and selection procedures applicable to academic appointments.
The ASUU president also alleged that some registrars had been elevated to positions such as senior lecturer or reader based on what the union considered questionable publications and records of proxy teaching.
Piwuna said the union was particularly concerned about the potential impact of such practices on academic standards, recruitment procedures and the integrity of the university system.
He maintained that ASUU was not opposed to genuine career changes within the university system. Rather, he said the union’s objection was focused on cases where established rules, competitive selection processes and merit-based criteria were allegedly bypassed.
“We are not averse to changing career lines in the universities; however, non-teaching staff who wish to change to teaching cadre should participate in selection interviews guided by extant conditions and criteria,” he said. (Peoples Gazette Nigeria)
The union argued that where the laws and regulations of a university permit a staff member to change career lines, the individual should ordinarily undergo the appropriate recruitment process required for academic appointments.
Piwuna further explained that academic qualifications were essential for entry into the teaching profession but should not, by themselves, be regarded as sufficient grounds for appointment to a lecturing position.
He noted that academic appointments require more than possession of degrees, pointing to the importance of appropriate selection procedures, teaching competence, research output, publications and other established criteria.
The ASUU leadership consequently called on vice-chancellors and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to take the matter seriously and ensure that recruitment and conversion processes within universities comply with existing regulations.
The union described the alleged practice as disturbing and urged university authorities to prevent situations where administrative positions could become shortcuts into academic careers.
The issue comes against the backdrop of continuing concerns about staffing levels in Nigeria’s public universities. Piwuna acknowledged that many institutions are experiencing shortages of academic staff, but insisted that the shortage should not be used as justification for lowering recruitment standards.
He argued that universities must ensure that only properly qualified and competent personnel are entrusted with teaching responsibilities, regardless of the pressure created by staffing gaps.
The debate also highlights the broader challenge of balancing staff career progression with the need to maintain academic standards across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Conversion from one cadre to another is not entirely prohibited within the university system. Federal education guidelines provide for conversion and upgrading of staff subject to stipulated requirements, including institutional approval and other conditions. (Nigeria Education Portal)
Some universities have recently undertaken such exercises as part of broader restructuring initiatives. For instance, the Federal University Dutsin-Ma converted 194 non-teaching staff to the academic cadre in 2026 following a staff audit, qualification checks and capability assessments, according to reports from the institution. (Education Monitor News)
ASUU’s position, therefore, is not that career conversion should be completely prohibited, but that the process must be transparent, competitive and consistent with the rules governing academic appointments.
The union’s concerns are particularly significant because academic staff play a central role in teaching, research and knowledge development. Any process that places individuals in academic positions without adequate assessment, ASUU argued, could have implications for the quality of education delivered to students.
Piwuna also urged regulatory authorities to ensure that universities adhere to their statutory responsibilities and maintain clear distinctions between administrative and academic career paths while providing legitimate opportunities for qualified staff to change careers.
The controversy is likely to generate further discussion among university administrators, academic unions and education regulators as institutions continue to grapple with staffing shortages, career progression and the demand for higher academic standards.
ASUU maintained that strengthening recruitment procedures and ensuring compliance with established criteria would protect the credibility of Nigeria’s university system while also providing qualified non-teaching personnel with a fair opportunity to transition into academic careers.
The union consequently called for greater oversight by university governing authorities and the NUC to ensure that any conversion into the teaching cadre is based on competence, merit and clearly defined institutional rules rather than administrative influence or automatic recognition of academic qualifications.