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The University Academic Congress (Conua) has stated that meanwhile recognized the newly launched tertiary staff support (TISSF), loans are not a substitute for the rights obtained or living wages. The union insisted that the Nigerian University lecturer needed a long -term welfare solution rather than temporary access to credit.
In a formal statement released on Monday by its national president, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, Conua welcomed the introduction of the Federal Government Tissf, which provided loans up to 10 million for academic and non-academic staff who were eligible. However, he warned that the initiative should not be permitted to overshadow unresolved systemic problems that affected academic personnel.
“What is really really needed by the current academic workforce is to increase sustainable welfare, not just access to credit,” Sunmonu said.
He noted that the hard economic reality faced by university lecturers demanded urgent and non-lending interventions. According to Conua, academic staff continues to wrestle with various financial challenges, including:
- Unpaid academic allowance
- Detained salary for three and a half months
- Extraordinary promotion arrears
- Reduction of Third Party Not Being left behind from April to June 2022
- Arrears of wage awards that are not paid from 2023
- Five Months of Extraordinary Minimum Wage Arrears
Sunmonu further emphasized the need for a comprehensive salary review, showing that the latest significant wage adjustment for university lecturers took place in 2009.
“With a sharp increase in living expenses and sustainable currency devaluations, the government must immediately start a salary review that reflects the applicable economic conditions,” the statement said. “Such a review is needed to restore the dignity and stability of the academic profession.”
The trade union also attracts attention to the concern related to retirement, urges the federal government to accelerate the release of retirement arrears and remove the delay of bureaucracy that continues to affect retirement lecturers.
While Conua described Tissf as “steps towards the right direction,” it calls for inclusiveness and justice in the implementation of the scheme. The Uni insisted that all stakeholders, including Conua, must be fully represented in the committee responsible for overseeing the funds.
“We are very urgent that the implementation process is guided by justice, transparency, and inclusive,” the statement continued. “To ensure fair access, eliminate congestion, and avoid cross -sectional bias, all legal stakeholders must have chairs on the table.”
In his closing remarks, the union asked the federal government to see the loan initiative as only one component of a broader strategy aimed at revitalizing the Nigerian Higher Education System.
“Real reforms must be rooted in a holistic approach, which prioritizes the rights obtained, respecting academic workforce, and reflecting a true commitment to the future of state education,” Conua said.
