The Federal Government needs an extra N560 billion to meet the demands of lecturers for increased annual pay, says a top government source.
The source, who is privy to the renewed negotiations between the government and university-based unions, however, said it might be “fiscally tight” for the plum sum to be made available, given declining revenue.
The government, according to the source, spends “N372 billion annually on university education alone, including lecturers’ salaries.”
Negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU show that a professor could earn, at least, N2 million monthly.
It was reported on Wednesday that the government offered about N1 million monthly salary for a professor, which is a 100 percent raise
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday moved to break the ice by personally meeting with the leadership of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU), the National Association of Applied Academic Technologists, NAAT, and the National Association of Non-Academics of Educational Institutions Staff Union (NASU)
At the end of the meeting, which was attended by representatives of relevant government ministries and agencies, Buhari directed Education Minister Adamu Adamu to end the strike within two weeks.
