Tension is brewing in Nigeria’s university system following the Federal Government’s release of N50 billion for the settlement of earned allowances for university unions, with 80 per cent of the funds allegedly allocated to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), while the remaining 20 per cent is expected to be shared among three other unions.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has outrightly rejected the distribution formula, describing it as unfair, provocative, and capable of triggering industrial disharmony.
The N50 billion allowance is expected to be distributed among all concerned unions, including: Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU); and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
In a joint statement issued on Sunday and signed by NASU’s general secretary, Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU’s national president, Mohammed Ibrahim, the unions decried the move as one that dangerously deepens the long-standing teaching/non-teaching divide in Nigerian universities.
Background
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, had in April announced the release of ₦50 billion by the federal government to the academic and non-academic staff unions of federal universities for the settlement of earned allowances, as promised by President Bola Tinubu.
The release was said to be part of a broader commitment to transform Nigeria’s education sector and shift the economy from resource-based to knowledge-based by investing strategically in education, infrastructure, and human capital.
Prior to the release, university unions had been at loggerheads with the government, demanding improved welfare, infrastructural development, and adequate funding amidst disruptive industrial actions.
SSANU at its 50th regular national executive council meeting held at the Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State in March, condemned the government’s delay in releasing the N50bn earned allowances appropriated in the 2023 supplementary budget.
It demanded the immediate inclusion of the withheld funds in the 2025 budget and their prompt disbursement while it decried the non-payment of the arrears of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increment for federal universities, inter-universities centres and some state universities.
Meanwhile, the newly elected President of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, Dean of students affairs at the University of Jos and a consultant psychiatrist at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital is expected to renew agitation for the immediate implementation of the union’s long-standing demands from the government as he assumes office.
Despite the government’s claims of meeting 80 per cent of ASUU’s demands, the union maintained that major issues remain unresolved. The demands include increased funding, university autonomy, payment of outstanding academic allowances, and improved salaries for its members among others.
The recent intervention, according to Mr Alausa, is not just a financial transaction but a reaffirmation of the president’s belief in the capacity of Nigerian youth and the invaluable role that academic and non-academic staff play in nurturing them.
“By prioritising their welfare, we are laying the foundation for a future where every Nigerian child receives a highly qualitative and globally competitive education,” he stated.
NASU, SSANU raise alarm
Following the release of the funds, the joint action committee of SSANU and NASU has raised alarm over the allocation formula.
In a statement titled, ‘Press statement on the unjust distribution of the approved N50 billion for university unions’, the committee described the sharing formula as lopsided.
“We have received, with utter disappointment, the information that 80 per cent of the sum has been allocated solely to ASUU, while the remaining 20 per cent is expected to be shared among SSANU, NASU and NAAT.
“This lopsided arrangement is grossly unfair, provocative, totally unacceptable, and capable of creating industrial disharmony, thereby further accentuating the teaching/non-teaching dichotomy in Nigerian universities,” the statement reads in part.
According to the unions, non-teaching staff are not second-class citizens but are critical stakeholders who contribute immensely to the day-to-day functionality, administrative efficiency, research excellence, technical operations, and overall development of Nigeria’s university system.
“This latest attempt to diminish our role and worth through this inequitable distribution is an injustice that we will not accept in silence. This is not a contest of supremacy among unions, rather, it is about fairness, recognition, and the equitable treatment of all workers who form the backbone of the nation’s university system.
“A harmonious and productive academic environment can only be achieved when all stakeholders are treated with respect, dignity, equity, and fairness,” they said.
Unions call for review of sharing formula
SSANU and NASU have called on the federal government to urgently review and reverse the sharing formula, warning that failure to do so would breed resentment and possibly spark another round of industrial action.
While the unions reminded the government of the stabilising role non-academic staff have played in preventing total collapse of the university system during past crises, they urged that the government’s decision should reflect and uphold the principles of equity and justice.
“SSANU and NASU stand united in demanding justice, fairness, and a recognition of our rightful place in the university community. We will not fold our arms while our rights are trampled and our members are treated with disdain. The time to correct this injustice is now. A stitch in time saves nine,” the statement stated.