The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has formally declined the proposed 35 percent salary increase presented by the Federal Government of Nigeria through its re-negotiation team.
During a recent negotiation meeting, which involved representatives from approximately 89 ASUU branches across public universities, the proposal was categorically rejected during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
ASUU is advocating for the benchmark established by Prof. Nimi Briggs, the former chairman of the government’s re-negotiation team.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, stated that the 35 percent salary increase was discussed at the latest NEC meeting, leading to unanimous rejection by all 89 branches.
Prof. Piwuna stated, “The recent offer by the Federal Government amounted to a 35 percent increase; however, during our meeting to suspend the warning strike, none of the 89 branches accepted this proposal.
“Consequently, it is not a viable option for us. We have the benchmark set forth by Prof. Nimi Briggs, which we are currently deliberating with them as part of the negotiation process. We firmly believe that this benchmark should guide the discussions.”
In 2022, the Briggs renegotiation committee proposed a monthly salary of N1.2 million for professors within the Nigerian public university system, a recommendation that the government did not adopt.
Currently, professors in this system earn less than N500,000 per month.
In the same year, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) advised the Federal Government to consider increasing professors' salaries to N800,000, a figure that represents a 50 percent salary increment in contrast to the proposed increase by the Federal Government at that time.