ASUU Rejects 35% Raise, Demands Urgent Varsity Funding
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the government’s recent proposal to raise academic staff salaries by 35%.
ASUU officials believe this increase is insufficient and reflects a larger problem of ongoing underfunding in Nigeria’s educational system.
At a press conference on Tuesday at the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), the Lagos Zonal Coordinator for ASUU, Prof. Adesola Nassir, called the government’s offer “pathetic,” claiming it would keep Nigerian educators among the lowest paid in Africa.
He noted that even with the proposed raise, the salaries of university employees are not enough to maintain a living standard that corresponds to their professional responsibilities.
“The recent proposal of a 35% salary boost is not only illogical but will still lead to inadequate pay for Nigeria’s academics compared to their peers in other countries,” Nassir stated.
He emphasized that a salary adjustment must be significant enough to counter the impact of years of neglect and the economic challenges faced by educators.
Nassir pointed out that when the 2009 agreement was made, a professor earned about $3,000 a month.
“Today, that amount has dropped to around $400, making any small increase almost meaningless. Even with this 35% raise, a professor’s salary will not reach one million naira, and after taxes, it further falls to about 700,000 naira,” he added.
He argued that such low pay inevitably leads to brain drain and a decline in educational quality.
Additionally, ASUU highlighted the troubling stagnation in funding for Nigeria’s education sector.
Nassir expressed concern that the government’s spending on education has stayed below 10% for the last ten years, with current allocations falling below 1% of the country’s GDP.
“In contrast, countries like Egypt and South Africa allocate much higher percentages, at 2% and 6% respectively.
“The funding crisis in education isn’t new, but it has reached a critical level. The government needs to confront the severe consequences of its neglect and prioritize the future of our youth,” Nassir urged.
He called on all Nigerians who care about the country’s future to join ASUU in pushing for a significant increase in educational funding.
As discussions between ASUU and the federal government move forward, the union has indicated that without serious commitments to address these urgent issues, it may resort to an indefinite strike.
“If the federal government doesn’t honor the agreements from 2009, we will need a miracle to prevent a total shutdown of public universities across the country,” Nassir warned, stressing the need for action to improve the education sector in Nigeria.
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