ASUU rejects the Federal Government’s proposed 35% salary increase, maintaining its stance on the Nimi Briggs wage proposal. The decision has renewed concerns over the stalled negotiations between both parties and the future of academic staff welfare in Nigerian universities.
The long-running renegotiation between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may have hit a stalemate, as the union has rejected the government’s proposed 35% salary increment for academic staff in public universities.
Reports from indicate that the resolution was reached during ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, where representatives from all 89 university branches unanimously turned down the proposal.
According to the union, the offer does not reflect the current economic realities or the professional value of Nigerian lecturers. Instead, ASUU reaffirmed its commitment to the salary structure earlier outlined by Prof. Nimi Briggs, the former chairman of the Federal Government’s renegotiation committee.
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Confirming the decision, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, stated:
The Nimi Briggs Committee, which conducted a comprehensive review of academic remuneration in 2022, had recommended a monthly salary of about ₦1.2 million for professors in Nigeria’s public university system - a figure that the Federal Government later dismissed. Currently, many professors earn less than ₦500,000 per month, a wage the union says is inadequate given the inflationary pressures and cost of living in the country. In a separate recommendation that same year, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) suggested an upward review to ₦800,000 - representing a 50% increase - as a compromise between the government’s earlier offer and the Briggs proposal.
“The Federal Government offered a 35% increase, but when we discussed it at our NEC meeting, none of the 89 branches accepted it. We maintain that the Nimi Briggs proposal remains our benchmark in this negotiation.”
With ASUU now rejecting the 35% increment, concerns are growing that the renegotiation process could collapse entirely, potentially reopening old wounds between the union and the Federal Government. Observers warn that the deadlock could heighten the risk of renewed industrial action, especially as university staff continue to decry poor funding, delayed salaries, and deteriorating working conditions. Education stakeholders are calling for urgent intervention and genuine dialogue to prevent another disruption in Nigeria’s tertiary education calendar. For many, the hope is that both parties will reach a fair and lasting resolution - one that truly reflects the value of academic work in nation-building.