Lecturers Lament as GIFMIS Fails to Fix Salary Issues

In the midst of a deteriorating economic climate, soaring inflation, inadequate pay, and government neglect, university lecturers in Nigeria find themselves overwhelmed by desperation, financial burdens, and mortality. Behind their academic attire and titles is a harsh truth: low wages, declining morale, and a loss of dignity, as reported by IYABO LAWAL.

• ASUU and CONUA confirm no change in gross or net salaries.

• Issues regarding autonomy and welfare continue even with migration efforts.

In Nigeria, university lecturers, including professors, rank as the lowest paid globally. Since 2009, their salaries have largely remained unchanged, with the only addition being a N40,000 consequential adjustment tied to the previously set minimum wage.

Despite their exclusion from the contentious Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and their subsequent shift to the Government Integrated Financial Management and Information System (GIFMIS), the financial conditions for university educators have not improved regarding pay and benefits.

Both the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) report that even after transitioning to GIFMIS, there has been no change in their salaries.

ASUU noted that thousands of its members across Nigeria are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet as the circumstances worsen on campuses.

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, shared that many lecturers now walk several kilometers to their workplaces, while others have left their vehicles behind to use public transport.

At the University of Abuja, he mentioned that some lecturers are even sleeping in their offices due to the unaffordability of fueling their cars.

Similarly, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, the National President of CONUA, stated that the transition to GIFMIS has not resulted in any disparities in their salaries, whether gross, deductions, or net.

Sunmonu highlighted that aside from the recent increments of 25 percent for non-professors and 35 percent for professors, lecturers’ salaries have remained stagnant since 2009.

He stressed the importance of significantly improving university educators’ compensation to match current economic conditions.

In Nigeria, lecturer salaries include a basic salary alongside allowances for housing, transportation, and research. Federal, state, and private universities each implement slightly varying structures, and inflation adjustments struggle to keep in line with the rising cost of living.

While additional grants, consultancy fees, and overtime payments can enhance take-home salaries, not all academics benefit from these additional earnings equally.

Lecturers at Grade Level 07 receive a monthly base pay ranging between N120,000 and N150,000. When combined with housing and transport allowances between N50,000 and N70,000, total earnings fall within the N170,000 to N220,000 bracket.

For Grade Level 08, the basic salary increases to between N150,000 and N200,000. With a housing allowance of N60,000, a transport allowance of N40,000, and possible overtime payments, monthly income typically lies between N250,000 and N300,000. In certain institutions, a teaching allowance of N20,000 adds to this income.

Academics at Grade Level 09 earn a base salary ranging from N200,000 to N250,000. Including housing (N70,000), transport (N50,000), and a standard research grant (N30,000), their total monthly earnings range between N350,000 and N400,000. Additional consultancy fees and seminar facilitation might contribute another N30,000 to N50,000 monthly.

Senior lecturers on the Consolidated Academic Salary Scale receive a basic pay of N300,000 to N350,000. With allowances for housing (N100,000), transport (N70,000), and research or skills enhancement (N50,000), their total monthly income reaches between N520,000 and N570,000.

Full professors in top-tier institutions earn a base salary ranging from N500,000 to N600,000. When including additional allowances such as housing (N150,000), transport (N100,000), research (N100,000), and editorial stipends, the monthly income can reach between N850,000 and N950,000.

Reports from The Guardian indicate that in several African nations, no lecturer earns less than $2,000 (approximately N3.3 million) per month, while those in professorship positions can earn as much as $10,000 (N16.5 million) per month. In contrast, in Nigeria, a professor makes only $300 (N495,000) monthly, which is under half a million naira.

In South Africa, a lecturer’s average salary falls between R19,000 and R40,000 per month, with the median total compensation at about R27,000 monthly. This amount includes both base salary and extra incentives such as bonuses or commissions.

Newly appointed lecturers may start with a base salary close to R240,000 annually, while seasoned lecturers can earn as much as R7,371,000 each year.

In the United Kingdom, the typical salary for a lecturer is £37,058 per year; entry-level salaries begin at £29,612, while top earners can make up to £48,544 annually.

In the United States, lecturers earn an average salary of $66,355 annually, with entry-level positions commencing at $52,213 and experienced lecturers making up to $104,392 per year.

In Canada, the average lecturer’s salary is approximately $86,039 yearly, varying between $64,000 and $116,000 based on the institution, geographic location, and individual experience.

The inadequate salary packages have driven many lecturers to look for better opportunities abroad, with over 80 percent of those who remain considering leaving as well.

The union has contended that enhancing the pay scale for its members would serve two purposes: to address rising living costs and to deter lecturers from migrating abroad for better salaries.

To highlight the issues, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Olufemi Bamiro, illustrated the relationship between improved worker welfare and the staffing levels in the university sector, noting that the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement motivated more Nigerians to pursue academic positions.

Based on statistics provided by this scholar, during the 2006/2007 academic year, Nigeria had approximately 100 universities and a total student enrollment of 1,096,312 across federal, state, and private universities, which were supported by 27,394 lecturers.

The information further indicated that federal universities, accounting for 58.3 percent of student enrollment, employed 17,836 lecturers, while state universities, with 38.5 percent of enrollments, had only 7,586 academic staff. Private universities, comprising 3.1 percent of student enrollment, included just 1,972 lecturers.

Citing comments from Peter Okebukola, the then Executive Secretary of NUC, Bamiro noted that among the 27,394 academic staff, those in the professor/reader category represented just 5,483, or 20 percent; senior lecturers made up 6,475, about 23.6 percent, while lecturers at the first level constituted 15,436, which is 56.4 percent.

“Calculations using the currently approved student-to-teacher ratio, however, reveal that for effective course delivery across disciplines, the Nigerian university system requires a total of 34,712 academic staff,” he explained.

To enhance the staff-student ratio based on the enrollment data and university personnel numbers from the 2007 academic session, Bamiro stated that Nigerian universities would need an additional 7,318 lecturers to raise the total to 34,712.

“ASUU asserts that the financial management of each university should be under the purview of its council rather than the Accountant General’s office. Annually, the governing council instructs the vice chancellor to present its budget to the National Assembly for approval. Once the budget, which includes salaries, allowances, and operational costs, receives approval, it is then sent to the President for signing, at which point it becomes law.”

He emphasized that funds should be allocated directly to the governing council of each university for staff payments, adhering to the legal principle of university autonomy.

Additionally, he expressed that universities should be empowered to make decisions regarding staff recruitment and salary disbursement.

In a similar vein, Sunmonu called on the federal government to reassess the salaries of lecturers in consideration of Nigeria’s current economic situation.

“A professor in Nigeria currently earns below $300 monthly. Presently, our skilled lecturers are leaving the country in large numbers for opportunities abroad. Ironically, no foreign lecturers are coming to Nigeria to teach at our universities.

“At this moment, we are training our lecturers only to send them overseas due to poor compensation. Yet, the government appears unconcerned about enhancing pay to keep our talented educators. Many lecturers are now unable to afford the cost of driving to their workplaces and are resorting to public transportation,” he lamented.

As inflation continues to be a challenge, regular updates to academic salary structures and fair access to allowances are essential for retaining Nigeria’s top teaching talent.