The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is preparing to hold congresses nationwide to determine its next line of action following a wave of protests across Nigerian universities earlier this week.
The protests, which concluded on Tuesday, highlighted deep grievances over poor pay, conditions of service, and lack of implementation of the renegotiated 2009 Federal Government of Nigeria–ASUU agreement.
The Federal Government is scheduled to meet today to reconcile and chart a path forward on the contentious issues. The meeting is expected to bring together the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi; and officials from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. Discussions are anticipated to focus on aligning the 2009 agreement with the recommendations of the Yayale Ahmed committee and the Nimi Briggs panel.
Earlier in 2025, President Bola Tinubu’s administration had released N50 billion to address earned academic allowances. However, ASUU has repeatedly demanded more robust commitments, including improved salaries, university autonomy, and reforms of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
ASUU president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, told reporters:
“I truly hope they will come up with something tangible. Our members are tired of words and no action.”
Piwuna emphasized that ASUU was not invited to today’s government meeting and would instead consult members before deciding on fresh steps.
okay.ng reports that ASUU branches had warned earlier this year that they would not accept further delays. The renegotiated agreement was submitted to the government in February 2025 after its conclusion in December 2024.
In Abuja, the ASUU zonal coordinator, Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi, accused the government of keeping past reports in “filing cabinets,” warning that the neglect could force another shutdown of public universities.
Despite the government’s introduction of loan-style support funds, ASUU insists that such measures cannot replace the direct entitlements due to lecturers.
The union’s frustration is rooted in stagnant salaries. Documents reviewed show that professors earn between N525,010 and N633,333 monthly under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure, with some professors reportedly taking home less than N500,000 after deductions. Graduate Assistants earn as low as N125,000.
A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, lamented the worsening situation:
“The lecturers are tired, the morale is low, and lecturers are poorly paid. As Vice Chancellor, I earned N900,000. My present salary as a professor is N700,000. My son saw my pay slip and described it as a joke. Do you know that some lecturers sleep in the office?”
Prof. Piwuna criticized the government for neglecting academics while approving salary increases for politicians:
“Our salaries have remained stagnant, and that has affected the quality of lecturers that we can attract into the universities. Because our morale is low, the output is also affected.”
Other stakeholders, including Senior Lecturer Prof. Tunde Adeoye and the Committee of Vice Chancellors’ Secretary, Prof. Andrew Haruna, echoed concerns. Adeoye warned that the Federal Government must urgently address pay to avert strikes, while Haruna highlighted that Nigerian academics are undervalued compared to peers abroad.
With professors in Kenya and Zimbabwe earning better pay than their Nigerian counterparts, the risk of brain drain looms large.
