ASUU Laments: Lecturers Stuck on Same Pay for 15 Years
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) raised concerns yesterday about what it calls the stagnation of its members. University lecturers in Nigeria have not received any salary increases in the past 15 years.
During a press conference in Benin City, Edo State, the Benin Zone of the union stated that the Federal Government has not used the one-month timeframe given to address its 2009 agreement. They warned that a new nationwide strike seems unavoidable.
Prof. Monday Igbafen, the Zonal Coordinator, mentioned that they would wait for further instructions from their national leadership.
He, along with leaders from various universities in the zone, said, “It is regrettable and unfortunate to inform you that the Federal Government has once again shown a clear unwillingness to quickly and thoroughly resolve all outstanding issues. This lack of action harms our public universities and, ultimately, our students.
“While some non-monetary aspects of the agreement may have been addressed, the salary and working conditions remain a major issue that needs drastic solutions to avoid a crisis in the system.
“We have rejected the government’s proposed salary increase because it is only a small fraction of what is needed to effectively counter the ongoing brain drain affecting university education in Nigeria.
“One major consequence of the government’s refusal to finalize these negotiations is that university lecturers in Nigeria are still under the same salary structure set in 2009 when the exchange rate was N120 to the dollar. Salaries in other sectors have been raised two or more times since then.
“It is disheartening to note that a professor in Nigeria currently earns less than $400 per month, which greatly undervalues Nigerian academics. Staying on the same salary structure for over 15 years without significant adjustment is not only cruel but also leads to resistance, industrial unrest, and brain drain.”
He added that what is most worrying is that the actions and statements from government officials, including the Minister of Education, contradict the genuine and prompt resolution of these issues.
Igbafen indicated that all signs point to Nigeria’s revenue increasing, which makes it the right time for the Federal Government to address the issues affecting universities.
“We are aware of the 2022 data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, which shows that states received a total of N3.92 trillion, while the amount for 2024 was N5.81 trillion. This indicates an increase of over 62 percent. Our union also recognizes that the Federal Government generated N3.42 trillion in revenue in 2022 and N4.65 trillion in 2024, reflecting an increase of over 70 percent.
“Consequently, we believe that what is holding back the resolution of this renegotiation process is more about a lack of political will than economic constraints.
“The Benin Zone of ASUU is ready to follow the directives from our union’s National Executive Council to restart the previously suspended strike at the end of the designated one-month period.”
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