ABUJA: The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has firmly rejected the loan scheme recently proposed by the federal government for lecturers, describing it as a Greek gift that undermines the union’s long-standing struggle for fair wages and improved welfare.
The rejection was made public on Tuesday by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the union during a special congress, where members unanimously opposed the plan.
The branch also pledged full backing for the strategies being considered by ASUU’s national leadership to press for the implementation of outstanding agreements with government.
Addressing members who staged a peaceful march from the institution’s Main Gate through the campus, UNILAG ASUU Chairman, Prof. Idowu Kehinde, said the government’s offer misses the real issue.
The loans are to be guaranteed by our union. This is unnecessary,” he explained. Every university has a Governing Council that can provide loans to staff based on our conditions of service.
What we need is a living wage, timely payment of allowances, and improved funding for our institutions.
If these obligations are met, no lecturer would need to go borrowing.
Prof. Kehinde added that the loan scheme is not only misplaced but also an attempt to shift attention from the federal government’s failure to honour agreements signed with ASUU over the years.
ASUU has been locked in recurring disputes with successive administrations for decades, with issues ranging from unpaid earned academic allowances and withheld salaries to inadequate university funding.
The government’s repeated inability to fully implement agreements such as the 2009 FG-ASUU pact—has often led to prolonged strikes that disrupt the academic calendar and affect millions of students.
Union leaders argue that offering loans to struggling lecturers is a poor substitute for addressing the systemic rot in Nigeria’s public universities.
Instead of palliative measures, they insist on structural reforms adequate funding, proper remuneration, and respect for collective bargaining agreements.
Many union members believe the proposed loan is a trap designed to create dependency rather than empowerment. By tying the loan guarantees to the union itself, critics argue, the government is attempting to place ASUU in a vulnerable financial position that could weaken its ability to challenge anti-labour policies.
“This is why we call it a Greek gift, one senior lecturer at the congress remarked. It may appear like help on the surface, but its long-term effect could undermine our union’s independence.
The rejection of the loan scheme highlights the deep mistrust between ASUU and the federal government.
While government officials have defended the proposal as part of wider efforts to ease economic hardship among workers, ASUU sees it as another distraction from unfulfilled promises.
For students and parents, the standoff raises fears of another round of strikes if negotiations collapse. With inflation biting harder, and many academics already demoralised by years of salary disputes, the crisis risks worsening brain drain as lecturers seek opportunities abroad.
ASUU’s national leadership is expected to announce its next steps in the coming days, with insiders hinting at possible industrial action should government continue to dodge its responsibilities.
Prof. Kehinde, however, urged members to remain united: We must stand firm. What we are asking for is justice, not favours. If the government meets its obligations, there will be peace in our universities. If not, the struggle continues.
As tensions build, the outcome of this dispute could once again shape the future of Nigeria’s public higher education system—and determine whether lecturers will continue to teach in classrooms or return to the picket lines.
