The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed 35% salary increase for university lecturers, describing it as inadequate and disconnected from the economic realities faced by academics.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday at the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), the Lagos Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Adesola Nassir, said the offer was “wretched” and would still leave Nigerian scholars among the lowest-paid in Africa.
Nassir explained that despite years of economic decline and inflation, the government had failed to meaningfully adjust academic salaries. He recalled that in 2009, a professor earned the equivalent of $3,000 monthly, but that figure has fallen to about $400 today.
“Even with a 35% increment, a professor’s salary will not reach one million naira. After tax deductions, it drops further to roughly ₦700,000,” he said, warning that poor remuneration continues to fuel brain drain and diminish the quality of education.
ASUU also decried the persistent underfunding of the education sector. Nassir noted that Nigeria’s investment in education has remained below 10% of the national budget for over a decade, with current spending falling beneath 1% of GDP — far lower than countries like Egypt (2%) and South Africa (6%).
He warned that the neglect of universities has reached “a critical level” and called for a substantial increase in education funding to secure the future of Nigerian youth.
As negotiations with the federal government drag on, ASUU signaled that the union may resort to an indefinite strike if the government fails to honour the long-standing 2009 agreement.
“A miracle will be needed to avoid a total shutdown of public universities,” Nassir cautioned.
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