Nigerian university professors have renewed calls for improved welfare, demanding that their salaries be raised to a minimum of N2.5 million per month. They argue that the current pay structure no longer reflects the rising cost of living or the heavy responsibilities placed on academics in the country’s higher institutions.
According to the professors, their work goes far beyond classroom teaching. It includes mentoring, supervising postgraduate research, publishing in reputable journals, and contributing to national development through research and innovation. They contend that with inflation eroding the value of salaries and with the high cost of housing, transportation, and basic needs, anything less than N2.5 million can no longer sustain them.
The call comes against the backdrop of longstanding disputes between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government over funding, salaries, and conditions of service. In previous negotiations, ASUU has pressed for a comprehensive review of the wage structure, warning that continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare would lead to brain drain and a collapse in the quality of university education.
Observers note that while the professors’ demand may appear steep, it reflects the widening gap between public sector pay and the earnings of professionals in other fields, both within Nigeria and abroad. Many fear that without urgent reform, the country will continue to lose its brightest academics to universities overseas, where their skills are better rewarded.
The Federal Government has not yet issued a formal response to the fresh demand, but the matter is expected to feature in ongoing discussions over education sector reforms.
©GistPilot.com.ng
