The Federal Government has initiated the payment of withheld salaries owed to academics affiliated with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). This development was confirmed by various sources within the academic sector in Abuja on Monday. Prof. Gbolahan Bolarin, the ASUU chairperson at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, publicly confirmed the commencement of payments, stating, "Yes, it is true. Payment has started rolling in."
President Bola Tinubu approved the release of four months' worth of ASUU salaries out of the eight months that were withheld during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who implemented a 'No Work, No Pay' policy against certain university-based unions that engaged in an eight-month strike in 2022.
Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, recently announced that the government has increased salaries for university workers by 35% and has also granted autonomy to universities by removing them from the Integrated Payment and Payroll Information System. Furthermore, universities no longer require waivers for recruitment, following informal consultations with unions representing tertiary institution employees.
