The lack of funding and poor compensation in the education sector might lead to nationwide university strikes in 2024, according to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, or ASUU.
Prof. Emmanuel Oshodeke, the ASUU chairman, on Monday, pointed out that President Bola Tinubu promised to increase the education sector to 15% or more during the campaign and election earlier this year.
While, member nations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation were encouraged to provide a benchmark of 26% to the education sector.
He bemoaned the fact that Nigeria has the lowest professor salaries worldwide.
However, Oshodeke said that ASUU was dissatisfied with the announcement that the budget for education in 2024 would be N2.18 trillion, or 7.9 percent of the overall budget.
He emphasised that the amount remained unchanged throughout the Buhari administration and said that the sector would not expand if the budget was not boosted.
Oshodeke urged the administration to meet with members of the cabinet and raise the allocation to a minimum of 15 percent of the whole amount.
“With this seven per cent education budget, nothing will change in the sector, it is just as we had during Buhari’s time. Tinubu during his campaign promised to increase the education budget but nothing.
“However, there is still a chance for him to change. But if there is no improvement on this and our other demands, by next year, we will mobilise our people and we can’t stay like this because Oyo State has 15 per cent and Enugu State budgeted 32 per cent for education, but FG is giving less than eight per cent,” he added.
cc: Daily Post Ng
