ASUU: Lagos professors earn less than secondary school principals

ASUU has alleged that senior professors in Lagos State-owned universities earn less than secondary school principals, accusing the Lagos State Government of failing to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement and subjecting lecturers to “starvation wages.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has alleged that senior professors in Lagos State-owned universities now earn less in monthly remuneration than secondary school principals in the state’s public service.

According to Vanguard, the union described the situation as a reflection of the declining welfare of academics, while accusing the Lagos State Government of failing to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement, subjecting lecturers to what it called “starvation wages,” increased tax deductions and alleged victimisation of union leaders.

The allegations were made on Wednesday during an emergency joint press conference by ASUU branches in Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), held at the ASUU Secretariat, LASU, Ojo.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Oluwaseun Babalola, appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently implement the 2025 agreement in the state-owned universities.

He said the government’s failure to implement the agreement, eight months after its agreed commencement date of January 1, 2026, had worsened the condition of academic staff.

“We have invited you today to draw the attention of the Lagos State Government, the people of Lagos State, and indeed all Nigerians to the continued failure of the State Government to implement the provisions of the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU Agreement in its three public universities, despite the mutually agreed commencement date of January 1, 2026,” Babalola said.

To support the union’s claim on salary disparity, Babalola displayed what he described as a payslip of a secondary school principal showing a monthly earning of N799,000, insisting that no professor in LASU currently earns such an amount.

He also criticised increased tax deductions on lecturers despite the non-implementation of the new salary structure. “Somebody that is already complaining of what he is earning is not enough. You are increasing your deduction,” he said.