The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has revealed that 84 of its members tragically passed away between May and August 2024 due to economic hardships, worsened by unpaid salaries and the increasing cost of living.

This alarming statistic was shared by the union’s president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, during an interview on Channels Television’s program Inside Sources with Laolu Akande.

Professor Osodeke expressed deep concern over the deaths, attributing them to the severe challenges faced by university lecturers across the country.

“In just three months, from May to August, Nigerian universities lost 84 academics.

These deaths are directly linked to the suffering our members are enduring,” he said.

He further criticized the government’s failure to pay lecturers their due salaries under the controversial ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy, which was implemented following the 2022 strike action.

Despite the hardships, many lecturers are still struggling with unpaid salaries, making survival difficult as the cost of living continues to rise.

The ASUU president highlighted the additional burden caused by recent economic policies, such as the fuel price hike and increased electricity tariffs, which have made life even more difficult for academic staff.

“You’re withholding over three months of salaries, and in the same breath, you’ve increased fuel and electricity costs. How are people supposed to cope?” he lamented.

Professor Osodeke emphasized that for Nigerian universities to perform at their best, the government must provide better funding and improve the working conditions of lecturers.

He disclosed that despite his 15 years of service as a professor, his monthly salary is just N420,000, an amount he believes is grossly inadequate for academic staff who are expected to compete with their counterparts globally.

“How can we expect Nigerian lecturers to compete on a global stage when they are not well-paid?” he questioned.

ASUU has been locked in a long-standing dispute with the Federal Government over issues such as improved funding for universities and the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.

On September 25, 2024, the union issued a 14-day ultimatum, urging the government to resolve these matters, including the release of withheld salaries from the 2022 industrial action.

In 2022, Nigerian universities were shut down for eight months as both academic and non-academic unions went on strike, demanding better welfare packages and improved working conditions.

In response, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari implemented a ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy, freezing lecturers’ salaries during the strike period.

However, in October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of four out of the eight months’ withheld salaries, a gesture that has done little to quell ASUU’s demands for full compensation.

The union continues to push for more substantial reforms to prevent further loss of lives and to ensure that Nigerian academics can thrive in a more supportive and fair working environment.