Currently, professors earn an average of ₦500,000 monthly, while junior academic staff receive significantly less under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS). Many lecturers face dire living conditions, with some squatting in shared apartments and others competing with students for seats in campus shuttle buses.
Documents obtained by Saturday PUNCH reveal the breakdown of monthly salaries for academic staff:
- Graduate Assistants: ₦125,000-₦138,020
- Assistant Lecturers: ₦150,000-₦171,487
- Lecturer II: ₦186,543-₦209,693
- Lecturer I: ₦239,292-₦281,956
- Senior Lecturers: ₦386,101-₦480,780
- Readers: ₦436,392-₦522,212
- Professors: ₦525,010-₦633,333
Professors argue that their wages lag behind those of their counterparts in other African countries. Prof. Remi Aiyede of the University of Ibadan noted that a government-commissioned report recommended salaries of around ₦2.5 million.
Prof. Abigail Ndizika-Ogwezzy of the University of Lagos emphasized that the current pay structure is unlivable, particularly in cities like Lagos with high living costs.
Prof. Sheriffdeen Tela of Babcock University described the pay gap between academics and politicians as unjustifiable, highlighting that many professors survive on loans rather than proper pay.
Former ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, warned that failure to raise salaries to between ₦1 million and ₦5 million monthly would exacerbate brain drain in the country.
"If Nigeria truly values education and wants global-standard universities, professors must be paid their worth," he said.