University professors across Nigeria, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), are demanding a minimum monthly salary of ₦2.5 million, citing current pay as unsustainable and a deterrent to academic excellence.
Protests erupted on several campuses on Tuesday, with lecturers denouncing the government’s failure to honour the 2009 ASUU–FGN agreement. Under the current Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONUASS), professors earn between ₦525,010 and ₦633,333 monthly, while junior ranks receive significantly less.
Prof. Remi Aiyede of the University of Ibadan argued that salaries should reflect regional standards, noting that professors across Africa earn between $2,000 and $4,000 per month, which translates to far more than one million naira.
At the University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ndizika-Ogwezzy emphasized that current remuneration fails to meet basic living costs in Lagos, especially housing. Lecturers, she said, carry significant financial burdens, from child school fees to healthcare, while working under stressful conditions.
Prof. Sheriffdeen Tela of Babcock University condemned the disparity between academic and political remuneration, questioning how professors can thrive on salaries lower than what legislators earn in a month.
Former ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, called for salaries ranging from ₦1 million to ₦5 million monthly, warning that failure to adjust pay would only accelerate the brain drain of Nigerian educators.
As protests continue, ASUU and university staff are intensifying pressure on the government for immediate salary reforms to preserve the sustainability of Nigeria’s higher education system.
