ASUU decries 15-year wage stagnation, threatens nationwide strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of neglecting the welfare of Nigerian lecturers, saying university teachers have remained on the same salary structure for 15 years.

The union issued the warning in Benin City, Edo State, where its Benin Zone addressed journalists on the government’s failure to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement within the one-month deadline recently given.

Zonal Coordinator, Prof Monday Igbafen, who briefed the press alongside leaders of member institutions, said the situation had become unbearable.

“It is regrettable and sad that the Federal Government has again shown a blatant unwillingness to genuinely and holistically resolve the outstanding issues needed to restore industrial harmony in our universities,” he said.

He noted that while progress had been made on some non-monetary aspects of the agreement, the critical components on salary and conditions of service had remained unresolved.

According to him, the union rejected the government’s latest offer because it amounted to “a mere token” that neither reverses the massive brain drain sweeping the sector nor adequately rewards lecturers’ contributions.

“The truth is that Nigerian academics are still being paid based on the 2009 salary structure, when the naira stood at N120 to the dollar,” Igbafen lamented. “Today, a full professor earns less than $400 monthly. This is not only demeaning but fuels brain drain, frustration and inevitable resistance.”

He criticised the tone and posture of some senior government officials, including the Minister of Education, alleging that their actions were not aligned with genuine efforts to find a lasting solution.

Igbafen argued that the country’s improving revenue profile undermines the government’s claims of financial constraints. He cited FAAC records showing that state allocations increased from N3.92 trillion in 2022 to N5.81 trillion in 2024 – a jump of more than 62 per cent – while federal revenue rose from N3.42 trillion to N4.65 trillion within the same period.

“This clearly proves that the major obstacle is lack of political will, not lack of resources,” he said.

He warned that the Benin Zone is fully prepared to comply with any directive from ASUU’s National Executive Council to resume the suspended nationwide strike once the one-month window elapses.