Economy

Nigerian Professors Salary Demand Rises to N2.5m Monthly

Published

1 year ago

August 30, 2025

Nigerian professors salary demand hits N2.5m monthly as ASUU protests poor pay, citing global comparisons and worsening brain drain

The Nigerian professors salary demand has intensified, with academics insisting that anything below N2.5 million per month is no longer tenable.

Also read: ASUU Strike Warning Escalates over Unresolved University Issues

On Tuesday, protests erupted across campuses as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) renewed pressure on the Federal Government to implement the renegotiated 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement.

Currently, under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure, professors earn between N525,010 and N633,333 monthly, while graduate assistants take home as little as N125,000. Lecturers argue that such wages cannot sustain their workload or living standards.

Prof. Remi Aiyede of the University of Ibadan stressed that Nigerian professors are among the most underpaid in Africa.

“Benchmarking across the continent shows professors earn between \$2,000 and \$4,000 monthly. Nigerian professors should not earn less than N2.5m,” he said, citing the Nimi-Briggs Commission’s recommendations.

At the University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ndizika-Ogwezzy highlighted the burden poor pay places on lecturers. “A house near campus costs at least N3m yearly.

Many lecturers can’t pay their children’s school fees, yet we do research, teach, publish, and serve our communities,” she lamented.

Prof. Sheriffdeen Tela of Babcock University added that the gap between professors and politicians was indefensible. “Even at N1.2m monthly, a professor earns less in a year than what some legislators take home in a month,” he argued.

Former ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, warned that Nigeria risks worsening its brain drain if professors are not better paid.

“If Nigeria wants its universities to compete globally, professors must be paid between N1m and N5m monthly. Anything less will push more talent abroad,” he said.

Also read: ASUU Bayero University Protest Demands FG Fulfill Agreements, Pay Withheld Salaries

The Nigerian professors salary demand underscores long-standing frustration in the academic sector, where poor pay and deteriorating conditions continue to threaten higher education’s future.

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Economy

NRS Assures Taxpayers VAT Remains at 7.5% Amid Tax Reform Concerns

Published

8 hours ago

October 27, 2026

Peculiar Adirika

NRS VAT rate remains 7.5%, the agency says, while addressing concerns over bank deductions, loans and the implementation of Nigeria’s tax reforms

The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has assured taxpayers that Nigeria’s standard Value Added Tax (VAT) rate remains 7.5 per cent, while addressing concerns over the implementation of the country’s new tax reforms.

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The assurance was given by the Tax Administrator responsible for Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states, Samaila Abdullahi, during an NRS stakeholders’ engagement and tax reform sensitisation programme in Kano.

Abdullahi said concerns raised by individuals, traders, business owners and other stakeholders about the new tax laws were understandable, particularly questions relating to bank transactions, loans, family transfers, business income and the potential impact on small businesses.

He urged taxpayers to understand the reforms through the provisions of the law rather than rely on assumptions or misinformation.

According to him, the tax laws do not automatically authorise deductions from personal bank accounts.

He stressed that tax collection and recovery must follow the applicable legal provisions and procedures.

Abdullahi also clarified that money received as a loan should not automatically be classified as business income or profit, explaining that proper documentation is essential to establish the nature of a transaction.

“For instance, when a trader receives a loan of N500,000, the amount should not automatically be treated as N500,000 in sales or profit, provided the transaction is properly documented,” he said.

The NRS official’s comments were aimed at addressing public concerns about how the new tax framework would affect personal finances and business transactions.

He emphasised the importance of distinguishing between taxable business receipts and other funds, such as documented loans, when determining a taxpayer’s obligations.

The clarification comes amid heightened public interest in Nigeria’s tax reforms and questions about their implications for individuals, traders and small businesses.