By Omowumi Omotosho
Over one thousand university lecturers across Nigeria have reportedly died since the inception of the Tinubu administration in May 2023 till March this year, a development described as both tragic and revealing of the dire state of Nigeria’s academic workforce.
This grim disclosure was made by a professor who is a senior member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a WhatsApp group chat over the weekend.
Throwing more light on the issue in an interview with National Pilot, the professor who requested not to be identified, said
the deaths are linked to deteriorating working and living conditions faced by academic staff, compounded by economic hardship, poor remuneration, and the lack of adequate healthcare support.
“I received an alert of ₦35,000 as a monthly arrear from the so-called Tinubu Award for federal government workers. ₦35,000 cannot even fill my car’s fuel tank. It cannot buy a bag of rice for Sallah. Tell me, why won’t people die? The hardship and agony for university teachers are too much,” he said.
He lamented the disconnect between the responsibilities of academic staff and the compensation they receive, describing it as an insult to the intellectual backbone of the nation.
“Have you observed that academicias, always sound bitter in public discourse? It’s because the reality we live with is demoralizing. No professor earns ₦600,000. With all the enormous responsibilities we carry?,” he added.
The source also criticized the public perception of ASUU’s periodic industrial actions, stressing that the strikes are often necessary, though poorly understood.
“It marvels me when people blame ASUU for going on strike. What pains me most is when our union fails to place our salaries and welfare at the center of our agitations. These are not luxuries. They are lifelines,” he declared.
The professor, also hinted at potential new forms of resistance beyond full-blown strikes, suggesting a passive withdrawal from teaching duties while continuing research and scholarly work.
“Nigerians are tired of strike actions. So let’s try another strategy, no teaching, no grading, but we continue with our research. That way, we’re not on strike technically, but we halt the academic calendar without shutting down the university completely. It can drag for a year or two, and maybe then, the authorities will listen,” he concluded.
