The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is set to hold congresses nationwide to determine its next line of action after Tuesday’s protests over the Federal Government’s failure to implement a renegotiated 2009 agreement.

Although the government is meeting today with key stakeholders, including the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; the Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi; and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, ASUU says it has not been invited.

ASUU president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, told newsmen that lecturers were tired of endless promises without action.

“We don’t have any meeting with the Federal Government tomorrow (today). It’s their meeting, not ours. We’ll go back to our members to decide what is next. Our people are tired of words with no action,” he said.

The discussions are expected to focus on harmonising the Yayale Ahmed draft (concluded in December 2024) with the original 2009 pact and the Nimi Briggs report, and to draw up a legally binding timetable for phased implementation.

Despite the Tinubu administration’s release of N50bn for earned academic allowances earlier this year, lecturers insist their core demands, improved pay, funding, university autonomy, and better service conditions, remain unmet.

Documents seen by our correspondent show that under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), Nigerian professors earn between N525,000 and N633,000 monthly, while Graduate Assistants earn as little as N125,000. After deductions, take-home pay for professors can fall to around N300,000.

Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, lamented the collapse of morale among academics.

“The lecturers are tired, morale is low, and many are leaving. As VC, I earned N900,000. Today, as a professor, my salary is N700,000. My son saw my payslip and called it a joke. Do you know some lecturers sleep in their offices?”

ASUU’s Piwuna accused the government of sidelining academics while preparing salary increases for politicians.

“It’s no surprise the political class looks after itself. Our stagnant pay has crippled morale, discouraged young talent, and weakened output in universities,” he said.

Senior Lecturer at UNILAG, Prof. Tunde Adeoye, warned that another strike was imminent unless salaries were urgently reviewed.

“In some African countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe, lecturers are paid better than in Nigeria. Many of our members can’t pay rent or buy medication. Some have died because they couldn’t afford treatment,” he said.

The Committee of Vice Chancellors also weighed in. Its Secretary, Prof. Andrew Haruna, faulted successive governments for reducing the value of academics to “mere salary figures.

“I’ve taught in over 10 European universities. If I earned $4,000 abroad and you pay me N400,000 here, you’re simply telling me what value you place on me. Academics are globally mobile. They can leave anytime,” Haruna warned.

With ASUU vowing to consult its members before announcing next steps, analysts fear Tuesday’s protests could be a prelude to another nationwide strike, one that would again shut public universities and deepen Nigeria’s brain drain.