Nigerian professors have demanded an upward review of their salaries to at least ₦2.5 million per month, insisting that anything less is no longer acceptable given current economic realities.
The call came amid protests across several university campuses on Tuesday as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) accused the Federal Government of failing to implement the renegotiated 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement.
Currently, professors earn between ₦525,010 and ₦633,333 monthly under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), while graduate assistants take home about ₦125,000.
In interviews, academics argued that their earnings were far below what their counterparts in other African countries received. University of Ibadan professor, Remi Aiyede, said Nigerian professors should not earn less than ₦2.5 million, citing recommendations from government-commissioned reports.
At the University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ndizika-Ogwezzy stressed that the poor pay forced lecturers to overwork themselves while struggling with rent, school fees, and healthcare costs.
Similarly, Prof. Sheriffdeen Tela of Babcock University said the wide disparity between professors and political office holders was indefensible, noting that many lecturers survive on loans.
Former ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, also backed the demand, arguing that professors should earn between ₦1m and ₦5m monthly if Nigeria truly intends to strengthen its universities and stem the tide of brain drain.
Lecturers warned that without significant pay increases, the quality of education and research in Nigeria would continue to decline.
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