ASUU strike: FG can only afford 23.5 percent salary increment for lecturers – Minister of education

The minister of education, Adamu Adamu, has said that the federal government can only afford 23.5 percent salary increase for lecturers.

Adamu added that a 35 percent increment will also be enjoyed by professors.

The minister also noted that the President, Muhammadu Buhari warned against signing agreements which the government will not be able to meet, The Punch reports.

Adamu, while speaking during the meeting with vice-chancellors and other stakeholders in the university system, on Tuesday, September 6, stated that, “The federal government can only afford a 23.5 percent salary increase for all category of the workforce in federal universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35 percent 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.

“Also, a sum of N150 billion 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 a sum of N50 billion shall be provided for in the 2023 budget for the payment of outstanding allowances in the first quarter of the year,” he added.

Recall that the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, alongside all vice-chancellors and pro-chancellors of federal universities had a closed-door meeting over the lingering strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday.

The registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed, Emeritus Professors, Peter Okebukola and Nimi-Briggs, were also present at the meeting.