President Bola Tinubu has announced that his administration has commenced concrete steps to review the conditions of service and remuneration of university staff nationwide, as part of broader efforts to align their welfare with current economic realities and strengthen the quality of teaching, research and learning in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The president gave the assurance on Saturday at the 49th Convocation Ceremony of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he reiterated his government’s commitment to dialogue as the most effective pathway to achieving lasting industrial harmony within the university system.
Tinubu, who was represented at the event by a former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Kabir Bala, stressed the importance of mutual respect and sustained engagement between the Federal Government and university staff unions.
He urged academic and non-academic staff to always embrace dialogue in resolving disputes, warning that prolonged industrial actions undermine stability and productivity in the nation’s universities.
“Government remains committed to dialogue as the surest path to lasting industrial peace in our tertiary institutions,” the President said.
“The Federal Government is, therefore, intensifying efforts to review the conditions of service and remuneration of university staff to reflect the realities of the present-day economy.
“In collaboration with relevant staff unions within the university system and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, we are already developing a sustainable framework that rewards dedication, innovation and productivity, while also ensuring fiscal responsibility.”
Tinubu added that his administration was also expanding opportunities for collaboration among universities, industry and government, with the aim of making Nigerian graduates more competitive globally.
He appealed to all stakeholders to continue to resolve differences through constructive engagement, noting that sustained dialogue would help universities remain open, stable and conducive for academic excellence.
Addressing the graduating students, the President described them as symbols of hope for a better Nigeria, charging them to go beyond personal success and commit themselves to making meaningful contributions to society.
“Your generation represents the hope and promise of a better Nigeria. Our nation looks up to you not just to succeed, but to make a difference in your chosen professions, in your communities, and in the global arena,” he said.
“Wherever life takes you as ambassadors of this university, remember to carry the Great Ife spirit of excellence, courage and progress.”
Earlier, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who delivered the convocation lecture titled ‘Raising a New Generation of Leaders for the World in Such a Difficult Time Through University Education’, challenged Nigerian universities to introduce dedicated leadership studies departments that would award degrees in leadership.
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Professor Simeon Bamire, disclosed that over 6,500 students graduated during the institution’s 49th convocation ceremony.
He provided a breakdown of the graduands as follows: 54 undergraduate diploma holders, 5,253 classified degree recipients, 295 unclassified degree graduates, and 959 postgraduate students.
