The Concept and Philosophy Underpinning ASUU Leadership Model and its Relevance to the Prevailing Socio-Political Reality in Nigeria

Abstract

ASUU is a union of Nigerian academics whose struggles have significantly impacted positively on tertiary education in Nigeria. A major component of ASUU’s strength and resilience is the quality of its leadership, the concept and philosophy underpinning this and the institutional integrity it has maintained over the years. What is it with ASUU leadership that makes the organization strong? How and in what specific ways has ASUU persevered the persecution and manipulations of the postcolonial Nigeria state and its ruling elites? In what way is ASUU conception and philosophy of leadership relevant in contemporary Nigeria? This paper examines these issues against the backdrop of the dearth of credible leaders in contemporary Nigeria by attempting a meta-theoretical analysis of ASUU leadership model. Drawing on the rapidly expanding literature on the subject, the paper concludes with far-reaching recommendations on how this typology of leadership could be replicated in the current democratic dispensation.