Professor Suspended After Speaking Out Over Abia Varsity Lecturers Pay

(Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze. Photo Credit: Nigeria Stories)

The management of Abia State University, Uturu, has suspended Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze from the Department of Economics following comments he made on social media regarding the remuneration and working conditions of academic staff at the institution.

A university spokesperson announced the suspension on Thursday, stating that the suspension resulted from concerns over social media posts attributed to the professor that management characterised as harmful to the institution’s interests and disrespectful to the university’s leadership.

The professor had posted on social media on Wednesday, alleging that academic staff members at the university ranked among the lowest-paid university lecturers in Nigeria.

He stated that lecturers continued receiving salaries based on a 2009 salary structure whilst being taxed at current 2024 rates.

He further alleged that a 2024 salary agreement negotiated between the academic union and the Federal Government remained unimplemented at the institution, as did another structure approved in December 2025 and effective from January 1, 2026.

The professor contended that lecturers promoted between 2023 and 2026 had not received compensation corresponding to their elevated ranks, whilst some staff members carried outstanding salary arrears dating back as far as 44 months.

He alleged that union dues deducted from salaries were not being remitted to the national academic union and that staff had never accessed earned academic allowances.

He further claimed approximately N163 million in cooperative deductions remained unpaid by the government.

The professor compared earnings at the institution with those in federal and most state universities, noting that professors elsewhere earned between N1.3 million and N1.4 million monthly.

He highlighted a stark disparity, noting that most professors at the institution earned less than N400,000 monthly, observing that motorcycle taxi operators earning N15,000 to N20,000 daily would surpass such earnings annually.

He stated that over 85 per cent of lecturers no longer maintained personal vehicles and were relying on personal reserves, borrowing, rental income and intellectual property returns to supplement work-related expenses, concluding that staff essentially subsidised state government operations rather than receiving subsidies.

University management established an investigative panel to examine the matter.

The suspension takes effect immediately pending investigation completion.