Prof. Job Nmadu of Federal University of Technology, Minna, says the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)’s nine months strike in 2020, impacted negatively on university communities by crippling their economic activities.
Nmadu said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
According to him, those affected by the strike, numbering about 20 million, included traders, landlords, hoteliers, transporters and many others.
Nmadu, a Professor of Agricultural Economics, said that the impact of the strike was devastating.
“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared a two-week warning strike and the strike became full fledged on March 20.
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“With the COVID-19 lockdown, the impact of the strike was not initially felt at the national level.
“However, stakeholders in the university communities including traders, landlords, transporters and many others, started feeling the pinch of the strike almost immediately.
“The strike battered the economy of the communities with a population of about 20 million people,” he said.
The don, also President, Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economists (NAAE), said that other factors also contributed negatively to the country’s economy in 2020.
He named them to include COVID-19 pandemic, crude oil price crash, violent crimes, #ENDSARS protest, flood among others.
He, however, expressed optimism that there would be turn around in 2021, adding that, “the year is crucial to economic recovery of Nigeria.
“Nigeria was no doubt stressed in 2020 but those stressors must be removed in 2021.
“This is to ensure steady and sustainable economic growth as well as well-planned industrial development so as to attain the 2030 Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) target.
“Also, inflation management should be overhauled.
“A reformed economic team would ensure that prices of goods and services are brought down to atleast 50 per cent their current rate,” he said.