The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has firmly rejected the Federal Government's proposed salary increase for university lecturers, describing the offer as completely inadequate to address the longstanding challenges facing Nigeria's higher education sector.
Union Declares Proposed Increase Insufficient
Speaking on behalf of the Benin Zone, Prof. Monday Lewis Igbafen announced the union's position during a press briefing in Benin on Tuesday. The zonal coordinator characterized the government's proposal as "a mere drop in the ocean" that would do little to reverse the alarming brain drain currently plaguing Nigerian universities.
Prof. Igbafen expressed deep concern about the Federal Government's apparent unwillingness to comprehensively resolve all outstanding issues with the union. He emphasized the urgent need for renegotiating the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement and finding genuine solutions to other related matters that have remained unresolved for years.
Salary Disparity and Brain Drain Crisis
The union leader highlighted the shocking disparity in compensation, noting that university lecturers have remained on the same salary structure since 2009, when the exchange rate stood at N120 to the dollar. While other sectors have seen multiple salary revisions, academic staff have watched their purchasing power erode dramatically.
"It is scandalous that a professor in Nigeria today earns less than $400 per month," Prof. Igbafen stated, describing the situation as "inhuman" and a primary driver of both industrial unrest and the ongoing exodus of academic talent from the country.
Impending Industrial Action Looms
The tension between ASUU and the Federal Government appears to be reaching a breaking point. Last week, the Owerri Zone of ASUU, which includes five major universities, announced it would commence a full-scale industrial action from November 21, 2025, if the government fails to address their longstanding demands.
The announcement came through a statement signed by Prof. Dennis Aribodor, the Owerri Zonal Coordinator, following a briefing at the ASUU-UNIZIK Conference Hall in Awka. The zone criticized what it termed the government's "selective implementation" of previous agreements.
The union has expressed particular concern about the government's perception of education as a commercial good rather than a social good essential for national development. This fundamental disagreement about the role of education in society continues to fuel the ongoing dispute.
At the national level, ASUU President Prof. Christopher Piwuna has echoed these concerns, warning that the government's "back-and-forth approach" to negotiations could have "serious consequences on the education sector." The union has issued a stern warning that continued indecision from the government might trigger another nationwide industrial action.
With the November 21 deadline rapidly approaching and both sides appearing entrenched in their positions, Nigeria's university system faces the prospect of another major disruption that could further impact the quality of higher education in the country.
