In a dramatic showdown that underscores the deepening crisis in Nigeria’s university system, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, has roundly rejected a Federal Government (FG) proposal to offer loans to university lecturers, branding it a “Greek gift” — a deceptive gesture masking deeper exploitation.
The explosive rebuke came during a special congress held on Tuesday at the UNILAG campus, where union members gathered in full force to reaffirm their support for ASUU’s national leadership and its ongoing struggle for improved university funding, better welfare, and the payment of long-overdue entitlements.
“The Federal Government wants to sell us loans as a solution to underpayment and neglect,” thundered Professor Idowu Kehinde, Chairman of the ASUU UNILAG branch. “But we are not naive. This is not charity — it’s a Trojan horse. They’ve failed to pay our Consolidated University Salary Structure (CONUSSA) arrears, yet they now want to push us into debt? It’s absurd.”
The FG’s controversial loan initiative, reportedly introduced as part of a broader “welfare intervention,” suggested that lecturers could access low-interest loans to cushion the effects of economic hardship. But ASUU leaders say the move is a calculated ploy to divert attention from the government’s failure to implement key agreements, particularly the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that promised improved funding for universities and salary adjustments for academic staff.
“This loan is not a solution — it’s a distraction,” Prof. Kehinde emphasized. “We don’t need to borrow money to survive on salaries the government already owes us. If the FG honors its promises, pays our arrears, and funds public universities adequately, no lecturer would need to take a kobo in loans.”
The term “Greek gift” — referencing the ancient tale of the Trojan Horse — has become a rallying cry among union members, symbolizing their belief that the loan offer, while seemingly benevolent, is designed to entrap academics in cycles of debt while the government shirks its constitutional responsibility to fund education.
ASUU has long accused the Federal Government of chronic underfunding of the university system, citing the fact that Nigeria consistently allocates less than 10% of its annual budget to education — far below the UNESCO-recommended 15%. Years of strikes, protests, and negotiations have yielded little progress, with the latest industrial action stretching into months due to stalled talks.
Insiders say the loan proposal emerged during backdoor discussions between some government agencies and university management bodies, bypassing ASUU entirely — a move the union views as both insulting and undemocratic.
“This is not about welfare,” said Dr. Biodun Afolabi, a senior lecturer and ASUU executive member. “It’s about control. If lecturers are burdened with repayment obligations, they become less likely to strike or demand their rights. It’s financial blackmail disguised as benevolence.”
The union’s rejection has reignited national debate over the state of higher education in Nigeria. Critics argue that the FG’s approach reflects a broader pattern of treating symptoms rather than curing systemic failures — offering band-aids while the patient bleeds.
Experts warn that without urgent investment in public universities, Nigeria risks an irreversible brain drain, declining academic standards, and the collapse of a once-proud educational system. Over 70% of Nigerian universities are currently underfunded, understaffed, and operating below capacity, according to a 2023 report by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
As ASUU prepares for its next wave of action — including possible nationwide strikes and legal challenges — the message is clear: lecturers are not beggars seeking handouts, but professionals demanding accountability.
“We are not against loans in principle,” Prof. Kehinde concluded. “But when your employer owes you millions in back pay, offering you a loan is like giving a drowning man an anchor and calling it help.”
With tensions escalating and the future of Nigeria’s university system hanging in the balance, the battle between ASUU and the Federal Government is no longer just about salaries — it’s about the soul of education in Africa’s most populous nation.
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