‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy: Why It’s the Wrong Fix for ASUU Strikes
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited,” stated Plutarch centuries ago. However, in contemporary Nigeria, that fire is gradually being extinguished by a policy that views intellectual work as merely mechanical — the “No Work, No Pay” directive imposed on university lecturers by ASUU.
The “No work, no pay” mandate has become the go-to strategy for the Federal Government in response to strikes in Nigerian universities. Each time educators go on strike to advocate for better working conditions or the fulfillment of existing agreements, the government employs this measure as a deterrent. While it is legally justified, the policy is detrimental to education and ethically questionable. It addresses symptoms rather than tackling the root problem.
The “No work, no pay” clause, as stated in Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act, might be applicable in typical industrial environments. Still, a university does not operate like a production line. Academic work cannot be quantified with attendance records or time clocks.
Teaching, research, and service are interwoven aspects of a lecturer’s professional life. To define “work” strictly as physical attendance misrepresents the core of scholarly engagement. Academic labor is intellectual, creative, and never-ending.
A university lecturer cannot be confined or restricted like a civil servant. Educators are global citizens — part of an international scholarly community whose work transcends geographical, cultural, and temporal boundaries. They teach, conduct research, publish, and interact with ideas that influence humanity.
To reduce them to bureaucratic workers under strict administrative control is to fundamentally misunderstand their significance. Academic freedom and global participation are pivotal to the university’s mission. Any policy that limits this freedom compromises innovation, inquiry, and intellectual respect.
The role of a lecturer encompasses much more than merely teaching in a classroom.
Teaching and student support: Crafting and presenting lectures, seminars, and tutorials; creating curricula; evaluating student assignments; guiding dissertations; and offering pastoral care.
Research: Engaging in original investigations, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, presenting at conferences, and obtaining research funding to enhance knowledge and the institution’s reputation.
Administrative and service responsibilities: taking part in departmental meetings, committees, and governance; contributing to quality assurance and curriculum development; managing student admissions; and collaborating with community and industry partners.
These responsibilities are ongoing. When strikes happen, the academic year is paused rather than entirely halted. Once normalcy resumes, lecturers compensate for lost time, ensuring that students fulfill all obligations. Therefore,
“No work, no pay” is not applicable in practice — the work is postponed, not eliminated.
Despite the significant responsibilities, the pay for Nigerian university lecturers remains disturbingly low. Under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), the highest monthly salary for a professor is around N580,000, which is less than what many mid-level professionals earn in non-academic fields. Beginning lecturers earn between ₦150,000 and ₦250,000 monthly.
When converted into foreign currency, a Nigerian professor earns less than $400 per month, compared to the N2 million to N6 million earned by professors in Ghana, Kenya, or South Africa. Amid inflation, the elimination of fuel subsidies, and currency devaluation, such salaries are not only insufficient but also degrading.
The outcome is foreseeable: diminished morale, lowered productivity, and a significant exodus of academics to better-paying opportunities overseas. Nigeria’s universities are increasingly losing their brightest talents—a disaster that the “No work, no pay” policy only exacerbates.
The ASUU strike of 2022 illustrated this clearly. Educators were unpaid for months, yet when they returned, they managed to finish all outstanding lectures, exams, and grade submissions. The policy inflicted financial hardship but resulted in no lasting resolution. Rather, it intensified the distrust between the government and the academic community, undermining any sense of collaboration.
If a lecturer ultimately fulfills their obligations, what ethical basis remains for withholding their wages? While the law may be fulfilled, true justice remains absent.
Ironically, those who enforce the “No work, no pay” policy are rarely held accountable for their own shortcomings. When public officials mishandle resources or fail to uphold policies, their salaries stay unaffected. In Nigeria, accountability seems to apply only to educators — the individuals who are the least responsible for the nation’s systemic issues.
To attain true stability in its university system, Nigeria must transition from coercion to collaboration. Sustainable reform demands:
A structured dialogue: A consistent platform for interaction between the government and academic unions.
Upholding agreements: Prompt and genuine execution of ratified memoranda.
University autonomy: Increased financial and administrative independence to foster innovation.
Fair remuneration: A sensible reassessment of the CONUASS to align with economic realities.
Shared accountability: Implementing performance standards uniformly across public officials and academics.
While the “No work, no pay” policy may meet bureaucratic requirements, it undermines the essence of scholarship. Education cannot flourish in an environment of intimidation. Lecturers should not be seen as opponents of the state; they are its architects and mentors.
A country that diminishes its educators jeopardizes its future. Nigeria must recognize that intellectual work cannot be shackled, and scholars should not be confined. Academics are global citizens who belong to a limitless realm of ideas, and a government that fails to honor their contributions ultimately dishonors itself.
A nation that confines its scholars cannot truly thrive.
Professor Oluwole serves as the Director of the Career Development and Counseling Center at the University of Ibadan.
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