Professor Chris Piwuna of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State, has emerged as the 14th President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). He takes over from Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke.

The Guardian reports that the announcement followed the union’s 23rd National Delegates Congress, which recently concluded at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Benin City, Edo State.

The keenly contested election saw Piwuna defeating his opponent, Prof Adamu Babayo from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi. Piwuna’s assumption of the ASUU presidency comes at a critical time for Nigerian universities, with ongoing discussions surrounding funding, Earned Academic Allowances of University academic staff, mass labour migration from the universities (brain drain), issues of autonomy and improved welfare for academic staff.

His leadership is anticipated to guide the union’s engagements with the government and other stakeholders in addressing the challenges. Piwuna, a professor of medicine and a consultant psychiatrist, is the immediate past national vice president of ASUU.

He graduated from UNIJOS with a Medicine (MBBS) degree in 2000, and obtained his Master’s at the University of Malta in 2013. He is a West African College of Physicians fellow and a member of the International Psychogeriatric Association.His work is specialised in the quality of life in older adults, with several articles in peer-reviewed journals.