Nigerian University Suspends Lecturer Over Claims Tricyclists Earn More Than Professors
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
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Under investigation
- Abia State University has suspended a lecturer, Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze, for a social media post.
- Nwaeze claimed professors at the university earn less than tricyclists and are paid below the current salary structure.
- The university stated the post was detrimental to its interests and has formed an investigative panel.
Abia State University (ABSU) has suspended Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze of the Economics Department following a controversial Facebook post. The university's spokesman, Chijioke Nwogu, announced the suspension on Thursday, stating it was effective Wednesday.
The suspension takes immediate effect pending the outcome of the investigation by the panel.
Professor Nwaeze's post addressed the recent industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at ABSU. He claimed that lecturers at the university receive the lowest remuneration in Nigeria and are still being paid under the 2009 salary structure, not the more recent 2024 or December 2025 structures. Nwaeze asserted that professors at ABSU earn less than ₦400,000 monthly, while commercial tricyclists allegedly earn over ₦450,000.
He further questioned the disparity, asking if people were aware that professors in federal and most state universities now earn between ₦1.3 million and ₦1.4 million. Nwaeze also pointed out that a local government councilor in Abia State, who might not have a WAEC certificate, allegedly earns about ₦600,000 monthly, and a House of Assembly member earns approximately ₦8 million net salary. He suggested that many government appointees could afford to pay a professor's salary and still cover their personal and family needs.
Are you aware that professors in all the federal and most state universities now earn between N1.3m to N1.4m as against what is obtainable in ABSU?
In response, the ABSU spokesman, Nwogu, who also serves as the deputy registrar, stated that Nwaeze's social media post was "inimical to the interests of the university and uncomplimentary to the visitors of the university," including Governor Alex Otti. The university management has established an investigative panel to probe the matter, and the suspension remains in effect pending the panel's findings.
In this same Abia State, a local government councillor who may not have an ordinary WAEC level certificate allegedly earns about N600,000 monthly.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Premium Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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