By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concerns about the poor welfare of public university lecturers, stating it as a major reason why qualified individuals are not willing to take up jobs in the university system.
According to Prof. Ayo Akinwole, the University of Ibadan (UI) Chairman of ASUU, this issue not only affects universities but also primary and secondary schools, where teachers are underpaid, leading to a lack of qualified educators.
Akinwole noted that the university system stagnated in 2024, and the lecturers’ sacrifices prevented another industrial crisis due to the Federal Government’s alleged indifference to their plight. He emphasized that Nigeria’s education sector may stagnate due to the 7% allocation (N3.52 trillion) in the 2025 budget of 47.9 trillion, which falls short of the 15-20% benchmark recommended by UNESCO and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) for underdeveloped countries like Nigeria.
While commending the Federal Government for establishing a committee to renegotiate the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, Akinwole cautioned against delaying tactics employed by previous administrations. He suggested that instead of renegotiating the agreement, the current administration should review and sign the renegotiated draft agreement led by the late Prof. Nimi Briggs in 2021.
Akinwole also criticized President Bola Tinubu’s plan to eliminate TETFUND under the tax administration bill, stating that this decision would have severe implications for the university system, including the destruction of the primary source of infrastructural funding for public tertiary institutions.
In his New Year message, Akinwole urged President Tinubu to prioritize the welfare of education sector workers and Nigerian workers, considering the country’s economic state and high cost of living, which has eroded the conditions of service for ASUU members.
