ASUU Strike: FG Announces Salary Increment For Lecturers, Addresses Other Issues

The federal government has announced a 23.5 percent salary increase for lecturers, and a 35% increment for professors.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu made the announcement on Tuesday September 6, at a meeting with vice-chancellors and other stakeholders in the university system.

Adamu further revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari warned against signing agreements that the federal government won’t be able to meet.

The minister said;

“The Federal Government can only afford a 23.5% salary increase for all category of the workforce in Federal Universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35% upward review.

Henceforth, allowances that pertain to ad-hoc duties of the academic and non-academic staff shall be paid as at when due by the Governing Councils of Universities to which such services are rendered and to the staff who perform them.

That a sum of 150 billion Naira shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget as funds for the revitalization of Federal Universities, to be disbursed to the Institutions in the First Quarter of the year, and that a sum of 50 billion Naira shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget for the payment of outstanding areas of earned academic allowances, to be paid in the First Quarter of the year.”

Speaking at the end of the meeting, the pro-chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Professor Peter Okebukola, noted that the government was ready to go all out to ensure that the university lecturers return back to school.

In a new development, the Federal Government revealed that it has set up a tactical committee to review its ‘no work, no pay’ stance against striking members of the ASUU.

This was disclosed by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, following the outcome of the meeting by the Minister of Education, with Pro-Chancellors, Chairmen of Councils as well as Vice Chancellors of universities.

The meeting was part of efforts to resolve the seven-month industrial action by lecturers of public universities.