Salary

By Maryam Ahmad

Thousands of doctors across England began a five-day strike on Friday, marking the 13th walkout in three years by resident doctors. The unprecedented action threatens to intensify pressure on the British government as it struggles to reduce long hospital waiting lists.

Resident doctors — qualified medical professionals still in specialist training — are demanding pay restoration, arguing that their earnings have declined by approximately 20% in real terms since 2008. The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents doctors, insists that the strike is necessary to address long-standing pay erosion and poor working conditions.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the action, accusing the BMA of behaving “like a cartel” and holding the government to ransom. Despite the government’s claims of financial constraints, official figures show that resident doctors’ salaries have increased by 29% over the past three years.

The walkout, which comes just weeks before the busy winter season for the National Health Service (NHS), is expected to cause the cancellation of tens of thousands of appointments and procedures. With patient backlogs already high, public frustration is likely to mount as the dispute drags on.

By Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka

A Hausa interview by a professor from ABU, lamenting academics’ poor pay, is trending and has re-ignited the debate on the salaries of Nigerian academics on social media. The discussion is championed by my brothers from the region, which is considered by the country as educationally less developed. I didn’t know what to say that I hadn’t said before. It will be like repeating myself.

Professors in Nigeria are now blamed for their financial status. They are expected to stop lamenting and get a side hustle to augment their salaries. A professor whose salary was ₦450,000 in 2009, when the exchange rate was ₦140 per dollar, is blamed for his economic state in 2025, with a salary of about ₦500,000, when the exchange rate is ₦1,600 per dollar. 

Some people are referring to professors abroad as if some of us have not had the experience. A number of us have studied and worked there, and we know how their university system works. I got two grants in the UK during my PhD. They said a professor earns more abroad from their research grants. The primary beneficiaries of research grants are postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Professors are not paid from their grants.

Grants have a budget, and personnel costs are not included. They are paid to the university account and managed by the university. The university pays professors to encourage them to think critically and attract grants for the institution. A university lecturer around the world is paid enough to give him the comfort to think and do his job as it should. Any extra cash from stuff like consultancy is for additional comfort. 

The Executive Secretary of TETfund, Sunny Echono, in July 2024, said: “On salary to lecturer, I feel ashamed because I have the privilege to represent Nigeria at a global conference where former presidents and prime ministers were in attendance. I was asked if it was true that a professor, after 20 years, still earns less than $1,000 a month. I couldn’t answer that question; I only said that we are doing something about it.” I think we should be proud of the salaries of our professors and boldly tell anyone around the world their actual salaries. 

Before you, in your narrow-minded state, blame professors for their financial status, ask yourself why the Nigerian government will pay the same professors about two thousand dollars per month under the Technical Aid Corp (TAC) to go help teach in universities in some African countries? The same professors who are given approximately $ 2,000 to teach in Ugandan universities under TAC are receiving an equivalent of $ 320 per month at home.

You know what? Everyone is right—those for and against. The argument won’t change anything, and it will likely end within a day or two. The new reality is that younger academics have learned from the impact of senior colleagues’ commitment to the academic job. The commitment you considered as “our stupidity”. The younger academics are planning for themselves.

A colleague, after the 8-month strike and the withholding of our 8-month salaries, said the university does not deserve his full-time commitment. That he is going to give the university the time it deserves and use a large chunk of his time for a side hustle to pay his bills, I thought, was unreasonable. I later realised I was the unreasonable one. And he is not doing badly from the side hustle. 

Around this time last year, I was passing and met some of my students in the class without the lecturer. In my usual chat with the students, I asked whose lecture it was. I decided to call a younger colleague, as students were waiting for his class in case he forgot. He picked up the call and said he had forgotten he had a class, but that he was on his farm planting, and that he would see them next week. He was at the farm during work hours and forgot he had a class because the farming hustle is paying the bills. He is actually doing quite well with his side hustle. 

Farming during work hours becomes more important. I reflected on that for several days. There are several examples of young academics who won’t be seen on campus, except when they have a lecture or are on campus for something they consider essential. 

People sometimes question why a whole professor would accept being an adviser or assistant to a political office holder. A trip with the political officeholder boss could get him his one-year gross salary as a professor. Since it’s his fault that he is poor, why shouldn’t he accept such an offer or even lobby for it?

As a consequence of defeat, we have accepted one awkward thing as a part of us. Because we can’t do anything about our tormentors and needed someone to blame, we blamed ourselves, the victims. It’s our fault that we’ve been on the same salary for 16 years, from 2009 to date. It’s our fault that successive governments refused to renegotiate the 2009 agreed salary with ASUU. It is our fault that the government of President Tinubu has kept Yayale Ahmed’s 2009 Renegotiation Committee report since November 2024 without speaking about it. They are still studying it, possibly till May 2027 or beyond. 

Universities are designed to attract the best minds from around the world. Universities, including those in Africa, such as those in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Chad, are attracting the best brains. At the same time, we justify the poor pay for academics and still blame them for their inability to compete with their colleagues in the UK, the US, and Iran. We’ll continue to breed our best brains for these countries. 

Meanwhile, as we take all the blame for our economic status as professors, younger academics are devising ways to survive. They don’t want to he like their senior colleagues who bury themselves in their books thinking they are serving the country. They are given more time for their side hustle to pay the bills, and leave the students hanging. They’ll attend to them when we can. The system will bear the consequences of neglect, and our survival plans will be affected.

From a reality check, you can’t think when you are hungry. So, what are your expectations when your thinkers are hungry and you are unfortunately justifying it? We may be on a journey of illusion if you expect a man to look for food to eat and think for you. The future will tell who gains and who loses.

Best wishes to all of us! 

©Amoka

By Anwar Usman

The Kano State Government has instructed all civil servants in the state to validate their March salaries before payment as part of measures to prevent discrepancies in the process.

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Faruk, disclosed this while addressing journalists in his office on Monday.

He explained that the decision was adopted in response to workers’ complaints of discrepancies, including deductions in their January and February salaries.

He added that civil servants had been instructed through their respective Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to verify the salaries assigned to their names and report any discrepancies for immediate action.

The SSG reiterated, “Any civil servant who has complaints should go to his/her ministry, department, or agency to verify the salary put on his/her name and report any discrepancy noticed for immediate action.”

The state government has set up a committee headed by the Head of Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Musa, to oversee the verification process. Faruk said, “The committee has been charged to fast-track the exercise to enable the government to pay March salaries as and when due.”

He assured workers that the exercise would not disrupt government operations in the MDAs or local secretariats, as necessary measures had been put in place to prevent any inconvenience.

With the Eid-el-Fitr festival approaching, Faruk reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that salaries are paid before the celebrations.

“The government is not unaware of the approaching Eid-el-Fitr festival and the importance of paying the March salaries before the celebration,” he said.

The SSG urged civil servants to take the validation process seriously to prevent any discrepancies that could affect their salary payments.

By Hadiza Abdulkadir

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered an urgent investigation into reports of salary deductions, underpayment, and non-payment affecting civil servants. Describing the issue as a violation of workers’ rights, he vowed to hold those responsible accountable.

In a statement on Thursday, the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, confirmed the inauguration of a seven-member committee to audit the state’s payroll from October 2024 to February 2025. 

The committee, chaired by Commissioner for Rural & Community Development, Hon. Abdulkadir Abdussalam, has seven days to submit its findings.

Governor Yusuf assured civil servants of his administration’s commitment to transparency and timely salary payments, warning that anyone found guilty of payroll fraud would face legal action.

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk Ibrahim, inaugurated the committee on behalf of the governor.

By Uzair Adam 

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has initiated a three-day warning strike in protest of unpaid salaries, allowances, and other unresolved issues. 

The Daily Reality leaned that the strike has disrupted services at government hospitals across Abuja.

In a press briefing held on Wednesday in Abuja, Dr. George Ebong, President of ARD FCTA, explained that the strike followed the expiration of a three-week ultimatum issued last year. 

He lamented the neglect of healthcare workers’ welfare and hospitals in the nation’s capital.

Ebong called for urgent intervention from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to prevent an indefinite closure of hospitals in the region. 

He emphasized that the decision to go on strike was reached after a Congress held by ARD FCTA members on Tuesday.

The strike, which covers all government hospitals in Abuja, from Wuse to Asokoro, Maitama, Kubwa, Zuba, Kwali, Abaji, Nyanya, and others, follows months of unresolved demands. 

The doctors had earlier engaged in multiple dialogues with the authorities but saw no meaningful action, even after the government requested two additional weeks to address their grievances.

“We gave the government a three-week ultimatum to meet our demands, and after meeting them and discussing several times, nothing was done. Not even the minimum things. We expected the government to pay for the six months of unpaid arrears,” Ebong stated.

He criticized the neglect faced by doctors in Abuja, referring to them as “abandoned projects” and highlighting the urgent need for action to prevent the collapse of the healthcare system.

In December, ARD FCTA had warned of a possible shutdown if their demands were not met, with the current strike representing a call for immediate resolution. 

The association has warned that if their issues remain unaddressed after the three-day strike, they will consider an indefinite strike.

The full communique, also released at the press briefing, detailed the various concerns of the association, including unpaid salaries, delays in the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), unfulfilled accoutrement allowances, unpaid hazard allowances, and the lack of necessary hospital equipment. 

The communiqué also stressed the shortage of manpower in the healthcare sector, with many doctors leaving the country due to poor working conditions and lack of support. 

It concluded with a plea for the government to act swiftly to avoid further deterioration of the healthcare system in Abuja.

By Uzair Adam 

Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South in the National Assembly, disclosed that his monthly take-home package amounts to over ₦21 million. 

This revelation came just 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) stated that each of the 109 senators in the Nigerian Senate receives a monthly salary and allowances totalling ₦1.06 million.

The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, had clarified that senators’ official earnings include a basic salary of ₦168,866.70, along with various allowances such as ₦126,650.00 for motor vehicle fueling and maintenance, ₦42,216.66 for personal assistant, and other minor allowances, bringing the total to ₦1,063,860.00 per month.

However, in an interview with BBC Hausa, Senator Kawu revealed a stark difference in the figures, explaining that while his monthly salary is indeed around ₦1 million, additional administrative fees and allowances he receives as a senator bring his total monthly earnings to ₦21 million. 

According to Kawu, this amount covers various office running costs, including domestic travel and newspaper purchases.

The controversy surrounding the earnings of Nigerian federal lawmakers has been reignited, especially after former President Olusegun Obasanjo criticized the practice of lawmakers setting their salaries and allowances, labelling it as immoral. 

Similarly, a former senator from Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, had previously disclosed that senators receive a monthly running cost of ₦13.5 million in addition to their salaries. 

The debate continues as Nigerians scrutinize the actual earnings of their representatives in the National Assembly.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin

To commemorate Workers’ Day on May 1st, FG announced the long-awaited salary increase from 25% to 35 %. However, hours later, the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, kicked against the increase and instead stuck to the 615,000 they proposed as minimum wage.

Although this total figure looks astronomical, it suddenly looks normal, putting the breakdown that Ajaero gave into perspective, especially with the current high inflation. At least that amount should reflect the salary of anyone receiving 100k or more before Tinubu came to power. In other words, the breakdown might be exaggerated to the bottom-line salary earners but not the middle ones.

When several pundits shared their analysis on National Assembly wages, the Ajaero recommendation suddenly became realistic again. The National Assembly’s daily take-home is more than the recommended minimum monthly take-home. So, the argument is that if NA daily wages are so high, the minimum monthly salary asked by NLC should not be too much. This is quite plausible.

But from the interview Abdulaziz Abdulaziz gave, it could be discerned that the highest minimum wage the government is ready to pay is double the current minimum. Abdulaziz first clarified that the current salary increase is temporary, pending when the tripartite committee under the former head of service concluded their assignment. However, as a committee member, he said unlike the 25 to 35% increase, the minimum wage may go up to 50 to 60k. He also emphasised that the federal government is bidding for the highest among the three parties: federal, state, and private.

An argument accompanying the discussion of salary increases is the plight of non-governmental citizens. The argument is that if FG increases government workers’ salaries, what about the rest of the citizens? To buttress this point, government workers are said to be just about 10% of the total population. This argument appears to carry substance, but it is misleading by flipping the coin because the more money on the government workers, the more money on every one.

The people who should be rather pitied are the state and LG workers. Because some of these tiers of government still receive the 1999 salaries benchmark. A friend who works with the local government health sector summarises their predicament. He said a decade ago, when he married, a mudu of foreign rice was 450 naira, and they only used half of it. Now the mudu costs five times, and because their family has increased, they need the whole mudu, but the pathetic part is that the salary hasn’t only increased since, but several bogus deductions have eaten deep into it.

At this time when the FG and labour are arguing about high salary increases to meet public expectations due to high inflation, there is no better time to remind ourselves of the famous “Udoji award” than now.

As a fan of Dan Anache, I heard one of his songs mention “Udoji.” I understood that he was mocking someone, but I didn’t know what it meant, so I took it at face value and enjoyed the song. The lyrics read: “Kai baka soja, kai baka dan sanda, kattsaya jiran Udoji. To Udoji in dai sadaka ce muma araba abamu.” It wasn’t until I came across Mahmud Juga’s article titled “UPE, WAI and Udoji” that I realised what it meant. 

In the article, Jega concluded, “Why has there been no Adebo and no Udoji in this country since 1974? Any young person who does not know what that means should please ask the elders.” So, with the right name in hand, I did what everyone does when faced with a burning question—I turned to search engines.

The Middle East, the world’s oil bank, is known for conflicts and unrest, so anytime one arises, just like the current one is on the card, the global oil price experiences a meteorological rise. One of the most popular oil price rises occurred during the Arab-Israeli War and the Iranian revolution in the 1970s. This was when Nigeria had had an oil boom, and there appeared to be no idea what to do with excess money, so the Udoji Award was. 

Jerome Udoji chaired the committee focused on the effectiveness of public service. One of the committee’s recommendations was to increase the salary twofold, which was implemented by the military head of state, Yakubu Gowon. The salary increase was so popular that it became known after Udoji. Please, someone should tag the current chairman of the minimum wage committee, Bukar Goni Aji.

There is no oil boom now, but there is a subsidy removal boom. So, to paraphrase Jega, Please FG, why has there not been a Udoji Award since 1974?

By Sani Bello Hamza

Mr. President, before I delve into my concerns, it is indeed important to lay a proper foundation. As an aspiring lawyer and an opinion leader in my own capacity, I am not unaware of the challenges and intricacies of leadership. The stress, strain, and challenges are sometimes daunting and discouraging.

However, Mr. President, even your enemies and those from the opposition party can not doubt your capacity to lead and your unique style of leadership. Your ability to lead and manage successful politicians, industry men and academics leaves us in awe and surprise.

Your ability to understand and provide lasting solutions to national issues ought to be given careful consideration and serve as an exercise for students at various levels. Your unique style of leadership is indeed worthy of emulation and study. The Asiwaju school of thought!

Dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, It has been a year since Nigerians qued in mass to support you and the renewed hope agenda. They voted for you and supported your candidacy. Nigerians, from every nook and cranny of the country, shun the nay-sayers and triumph to support you and the APC to make sure you make it to the Villa. It has now become history and forms a special part of the Asiwaju school of thought! 

Mr. President, sir, Before you declared your intention to run for president in early 2022, Nigerians were lost in search of a trusted and reliable leader, a qualified politician capable of steering them to the promised land. The APC seems to be falling after eight years of sheer disappointing tenure, and the PDP was not an option to be considered, given its 16-year tenure.

The resurgence and emergence of the renewed hope agenda and the “emilokan” slogan gave Nigerians a sigh of relief and hope that the table would turn around. That is, it’s time to reap what they sow and enjoy the fruit of their labour and hard work. 

Mr. President, I wish I could write this letter and deliver it directly to your mail or doorstep. Sadly, it’s not possible. I still wish I could be featured on national television to address you and beg you for one thing, yes, just one thing, Mr. President. 

If I were given the opportunity to meet you, the president, in a one-on-one conversation, I wouldn’t talk much. I promise to make the conversation short, brief, and succinct. Who will give me this golden opportunity? 

Anyway, the popular Hausa adage; “guntun gatarin ka ya fi sari ka bani” meaning your short axe is better than cut and give me” is what kept resounding in my skull. I will use the little I have to achieve what I don’t have. I will send this letter out, hoping that one day it’ll reach you, Mr. President. In a one-on-one meeting with the president, I will tell him to put aside anything that has to do with salary increases for the working class and concentrate on bringing back to life the already dead Naira. A stronger Naira is the only option.

Okay, back to the subject matter: Nigeria is indeed a blessed country with abundant natural resources (Minerals and Humans). Yet, our economy keeps dilapidating day in and day out. It always seems that yesterday was better than today, last month was better than the current month, and we wish to be taken back to the previous administrations. 

Why is this happening? What is the problem with Nigeria?

I was tempted to share a post on my Facebook timeline from March 2015 (nine years ago) in which the writer lamented how the prices of commodities skyrocketed during the fasting period. The only price that caught my attention was the price of spaghetti, which rose from 60 – 70 naira. Man! How much are you buying spaghetti now? They’ll say the dollar has risen.

Mr. President, back then, in 2014, the exchange rate of dollar to naira was 60-70 per dollar. The minimum wage then was 18,000 naira, which is enough for an average Nigerian to buy a bag of rice and other commodities to sustain himself throughout the month.

Fast forward to 2024, 10 years later, the Naira hit an all-time record of 1900 to a dollar, and the minimum wage has graciously increased from 18,000 to 30,000. The 30k will not be enough for the average Nigerian to buy half a bag of rice, not to talk of other daily life struggles.

Mr. President, I strongly believe a salary increase will only increase the amount of money in circulation, thereby making inflation the front seat of our economic discourse. They say more money, more problems. 

Mr President, sir, a good road network connecting rural to urban areas spiced up with increased exports will benefit the country more than an increased salary for less than five per cent of the country’s population. 

Dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I equally believe the renowned economists in your midst understand the intricacies of our economy and where it’s heading to. With your continuous support, dedication and unwavering commitment to the progress of our nation, Nigerians will one day smile and say Alhamdulillah!

Sani Bello Hamza is a Law Student at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He writes from Zaria and can be reached via sanibellohamza@gmail.com.

By Mohammed Usman (Noble-pen)

I often see people confidently saying the above statement, especially to sway someone’s mind and make him subscribe to their opinion. And most of them don’t care to take the time to think about it thoroughly. 

On the surface, the statement is true and leaves susceptible minds with no option but to agree. But suppose we subject it to close examination, broaden our lens of thinking horizon, and look at it from a different angle. In that case, we realise that the statement is not as accurate as it is often considered. 

Most people quickly make this statement; they merely take the case study of low-level salary earners working for a government or at a government ministry and then confidently make this sweeping statement: “No one ever makes rich with salary.” 

Suppose we hover our thinking over those low-level salary earners at government ministries and those holding miniature academic certificates. In that case, we cannot deny that no one among them, or hardly one among them, becomes rich with salary because the amount most of them receive as salary can only keep them breath and save them from dying of absolute starvation. They are mere slaves. 

Worst still, some people have very little or no savings and investment power. The rate of their disposal out of the salary outweighs that of their savings by a large percentage. They are living hand to mouth. 

However, no one can tell me that those holding advanced academic certificates and working in top levels of government, national and multinational corporations, and organisations (nongovernmental) that they are not making rich with their salary. Even the low-level workers in such organisations and corporations are getting rich! 

Therefore, the above statement is false whenever we look at it from this angle. And so we advise those people making the statement to reframe it accordingly because they are not right. 

In any case, the word “Richness” is subjective. Different people perceive and interpret it differently depending on their different life orientations. Some perceive and interpret being rich as only when you garner, in large profusion, materialistic things. Some interpret being rich as being able to manage scarce resources to attain satisfaction. Therefore, in this class, a poor person is greedy, always looking for more and more, and never gets satisfied with what he has. I belong to this class of people. 

If a person wants to work to earn a salary and sustain a living, let him do it. And that makes him no less reasonable than someone aspiring to enter a business venture. It is called “Individual and personal opinion”. By the way, it would not be brilliant to expect everyone to become a business owner or own a business venture or enterprise for a living.

But of course, business is worth it, especially in this current global economy. It offers numerous benefits to individuals, society, and the economy, such as : (1) Job Creation: Businesses create jobs which help people earn a living and improve their standard of living. They provide employment opportunities for workers of all levels of education and experience ; (2) Economic Growth: Businesses contribute to economic growth by generating revenue, investing in research and development, and creating new markets and industries. This, in turn, stimulates economic activity and raises the standard of living for everyone…. You can mention the others! 

So whether business or salary earning, the end is the same: “to earn a living”, and being rich, as I said above, is a subjective case. 

Thank you 

Mohammed Usman (Noble-pen) wrote via mohammedusman5706@gmail.com.

By Abdelghaffar Amoka

I travelled home in 2012 after my PhD and one of my older cousins asked when I would become a Professor. I laughed and told him it would still take some years, and I jokingly told him I was not keen on becoming a Professor. He became angry at my response and said I should get the Professor for them even if I didn’t want it. After I left him, I began to wonder what is in that rank that some people want at all costs.

I can still remember the huge congratulatory messages I received after my friend and colleague shared on Facebook the news of my promotion to that rank. Sometimes I reflect on those messages and imagine how rich I would have been if those congratulatory messages could be transformed into cash. Here we are struggling, and some of us can’t even drive our cars any longer.

The Nigerian Professor

Becoming a Professor, the peak in academia, is something most academics look forward to. The title still comes with some prestige and perceived false benefits attached to it by outsiders. I once read a post on Facebook that said professors are stingy. Poor professors and the public want them to spend the money they don’t have. I went to buy a seat cover for my car a few years ago and the seller said lecturers have money but refused to spend it. I asked how much he thinks a professor is earning, and he said it can’t be less than N700,000. I laughed very hard.

I have written a lot on the remuneration of academics in Nigerian public universities, but many still don’t believe the figures. Yeah! Too bad to be true as compared with their perception. I had a discussion with one of our PG students, who is a lecturer in a state polytechnic, about salary disparity in the Nigerian public sector yesterday, and the salaries of university lecturers came into the discussion. I told him the figures, and the smile on his face showed that he didn’t believe it but couldn’t say I was lying. So, I logged in to the university portal and showed him my payslip. The gross, the deduction, and the net. We met again today, and he said that until yesterday, he never believed that a Professor on step 4 was earning less than N600,000.

Again this is the salary of academics in any federal government university in Nigeria. The quoted value is for step 2, the rank:

~The Assistant Lecturer’s net salary with all his allowances is N118,279 (105 USD).

~Lecturer II’s net salary with all his allowances is N129,724 (115 USD).

~Lecturer I net salary with all his allowances is: N160,809 (142 USD)

~Senior Lecturer’s net salary with all his allowances is: N222,229 (197 USD)

~Reader (Associate Professor) net salary with all his allowances is: N277,179 (245 USD)

~The professor’s net salary with all his allowances is N332,833 (294 USD).

The University workers are perhaps the only federal government workers whose salary is yet to be reviewed since 2009, that is for 14 years despite inflation. Those who were already professors in 2009 are still receiving the same salary since then. Your comfort is key to your output.

Aside from the academic work and the research and publication work that forms the bulk of your promotion criteria, you are loaded with administrative responsibilities without responsibility allowance. They call it ‘community services’. You can be denied promotion if you don’t have enough of the said “community services”.

If you happen to travel outside the University for a conference and you are lucky to be funded, the travel allowance is as follows:

~Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) for the professorial cadre is N16,000 per night.

~Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) for Senior Lecturer cadre and below is N12,000 per night.

~The transportation allowance is N20 per km.

If a Professor is to travel 200 km for an assignment that lasts for a day, he will get a DTA of N32,000 for 2 nights for his hotel accommodation for 2 nights and feeding and N8,000 for transportation. That is a total of N40,000. Despite the fact that FG has approved a new DTA for public service in September 2022, the universities can’t afford the new rate a year later. I applaud the patience of my colleagues, but the patient dogs are dying of hunger.

Meanwhile, education is said to be key to national development.

Dear prospective academics, I love academia. For me, it is not a job but a way of life. However, ask questions before you wish to join academia and become a Professor. The job as it is at the moment can’t pay your bills for a decent life.

Abdelghaffar Amoka Abdelmalik, PhD, wrote from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He can be reached via aaabdelmalik@gmail.com.