Chukwu Obinna 
BENIN, Nigeria – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Benin Zone, has rejected the Federal Government’s latest salary increment proposal, warning that the offer does nothing to arrest the worsening crisis in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the zonal coordinator, Prof Monday Lewis Igbafen, described the government’s proposal as “a mere drop in the ocean” and said it fails to reverse the accelerating brain drain affecting universities nationwide. “What we are seeing is an unwillingness to holistically resolve all outstanding issues,” he said.
Igbafen criticised the administration for refusing to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement, which covers salaries, staffing, welfare and research funding. He noted that lecturers have remained on “virtually the same pay structure” since 2009, a period during which inflation and currency depreciation have eroded wages while other sectors have received multiple reviews.
The union leader condemned what he called the government’s “back-and-forth approach without tangible results,” insisting that the current offer cannot address deteriorating working conditions or halt the exodus of academics. “Enough is enough,” he declared. “This half-hearted method must stop.”
ASUU’s rejection heightens tensions between the union and the Federal Government just months after the last round of negotiations stalled. Universities continue to battle shortages of staff, dilapidated infrastructure, limited research funding and rising student pressure.
The zone urged the government to adopt a decisive approach, warning that failure to act could trigger industrial disruptions. “We need radical intervention to avert a system collapse,” Igbafen said.
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Mirian Gom 
