ASUU Rejects 35% Pay Rise, Says Offer Deepens Crisis in Nigerian Universities

By Marcus Nkire

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s proposed 35 percent salary increment for lecturers, describing it as inadequate and disconnected from the realities facing Nigerian academics.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, ASUU’s Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Adesola Nassir, said the offer does nothing to address the long-standing decay in university funding. He warned that Nigerian lecturers remain among the lowest-paid in Africa despite the government’s announcement.

According to him, the proposed increment is “wretched” and fails to meet the economic demands facing academic workers. Nassir noted that when the 2009 agreement was signed, a professor earned around $3,000 monthly, but that figure has now collapsed to about $400.

He explained that even with the 35 percent adjustment, a professor’s salary would still fall short of ₦1 million, and after tax deductions, may drop to roughly ₦700,000 — a situation he said fuels brain drain and diminishes the quality of higher education in the country.

Nassir also decried the consistent underfunding of education, stating that national investment in the sector has dropped to below one percent of GDP, far behind countries like Egypt and South Africa.

He urged Nigerians to demand increased investment in education, adding that without meaningful commitments from the government, public universities may face an indefinite shutdown.

ASUU warned that unless the Federal Government honours the 2009 agreement, “a miracle will be needed” to prevent a total collapse of academic activities nationwide.