ASUU Warns of Possible Strikes in 2024 Due to Low Education Budget
Osodeke lamented that Nigeria has the lowest remuneration for professors globally and criticized the 2024 education budget, which stands at N2.18 trillion, representing only 7.9% of the overall budget. He emphasized that unless the budget is increased, there would be minimal progress in the sector.
AKACHI NOEL 
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern over the meager budget allocated to the education sector, signaling potential strikes in 2024. ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke revealed in an interview with The Punch that President Bola Tinubu had promised to increase the education sector's budget to at least 15%, a commitment echoed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation, which recommended a 26% benchmark allocation.
Osodeke lamented that Nigeria has the lowest remuneration for professors globally and criticized the 2024 education budget, which stands at N2.18 trillion, representing only 7.9% of the overall budget. He emphasized that unless the budget is increased, there would be minimal progress in the sector.
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ASUU called on the government to fulfill Tinubu's election promise, urging a budget increase to 15% or more. National President of The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Dr. Anderson Ezeibe, echoed the sentiment, describing the allocation as inadequate and insufficient to address the multifaceted problems in the education sector.
Expressing concerns about the brain drain in the university system, Osodeke advised the government to raise lecturers' salaries, clear backlogs of Earned Allowance, and address withheld salaries. He emphasized the need to improve funding for the education sector, enhance the wage structure, and restore governance in line with global standards to retain academic professionals and curb the "japa syndrome."
