The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has sounded the alarm over deteriorating welfare conditions for lecturers in public universities, warning that these challenges are discouraging qualified professionals from joining the education sector.
Speaking in Ibadan on Wednesday, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, Chairman of ASUU’s University of Ibadan chapter, lamented the negative impact on both tertiary and basic education. “The teachers are not well-paid, leading to the reluctance of qualified teachers to take up employment in public primary and secondary schools, paving the way for the untrained and unqualified teachers to hold sway,” he said.
Akinwole highlighted that the situation has fueled the proliferation of private schools, many of which remain unaffordable for the majority. He further criticized the 2025 national budget for allocating only 7% to education, well below the 15-20% recommended by UNESCO and UNFPA for underdeveloped countries.
On funding agreements, Akinwole urged the Tinubu administration to avoid the delays of previous governments. He cited the failure of the Buhari administration to implement the 2021 renegotiated agreement with ASUU, stating, “Instead of a fresh renegotiation, the Tinubu-led administration should set in motion a process to review and sign the Nimi Briggs-led draft agreement as a mark of goodwill.”
Akinwole also condemned plans to eliminate TETFund by 2030 under the tax administration bill, warning of dire consequences for infrastructure in tertiary institutions. “This is an attempt to destroy the major source of infrastructural funding for already struggling public tertiary institutions,” he said.
ASUU called on the government to address pressing issues, including the release of withheld salaries, earned academic allowances, and funds for revitalizing universities. Failure to act, Akinwole warned, could lead to “a long-drawn confrontation” and another crisis in Nigeria’s university system.
He concluded with a plea: “It is a public hazard to conscript academics into endless struggles for survival. There is low motivation and an increasing rate of flight from the present condition at the slightest opportunity.”
