The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed on Channels Television’s program “Inside Sources” with Laolu Akande that 84 ASUU members died between May and August 2024 due to economic hardship and unpaid salaries. He attributed these deaths to the financial strain caused by withheld salaries, as the government continues to enforce a “no work, no pay” policy. He noted that the increase in fuel and electricity costs further worsened the situation.
Prof. Osodeke emphasised the need for better funding for Nigerian universities, pointing out that lecturers cannot perform at a global standard if they are not adequately compensated. Despite being a professor for 15 years, he earns just N420,000 monthly. He reiterated ASUU’s demands for improved welfare for lecturers and warned that the sector would continue to struggle unless these issues were addressed.
ASUU had previously given the government a 14-day ultimatum, starting on September 25, 2024, to address unresolved matters, including the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and the release of withheld salaries from the 2022 strike. This strike lasted eight months, during which the government under former President Muhammadu Buhari implemented a “no work, no pay” policy. Although current President Bola Tinubu approved the release of four months’ worth of withheld salaries in October 2023, some back pay remains unpaid.
