Tinubu Clears Decades-Old Debt, Wins Praise from Nigerian University Community
By Jerry Adesewo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received high praise from members of Nigeria’s academic community following the long-awaited payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to university staff across the country—some of which had remained unpaid for nearly two decades.
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Reacting to the development, Prof. Yemi Oke, SAN, of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, described the payment as “a promise made and kept,” highlighting Tinubu’s resolve to settle inherited obligations left unresolved by previous administrations.
“I received a six-digit payment alert,” Prof. Oke wrote in a public statement, “but the issue is not about the amount. It is about a president who did not owe, yet made the decision to pay—out of conscience, commitment, and courage.”
The payment of the EAA, a contentious backlog of allowances earned by university lecturers for extra teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities, has long been a source of friction between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Past administrations had pledged to settle the debts but failed to deliver.
In contrast, President Tinubu, has succeeded in resolving the matter, a move Prof. Oke says marks a significant shift in leadership attitude and responsiveness. “This is not just fiscal responsibility; it is moral courage,” he said.
The development follows other education sector initiatives, including the activation of Nigeria’s Student Loan Scheme, which has enabled thousands of undergraduates across the country to access financial assistance for higher education. The scheme, another cornerstone of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, has been widely welcomed by students and parents alike.
Prof. Oke argued that these actions have earned Tinubu substantial goodwill from two critical constituencies: university staff and Nigerian students.
“He has won the hearts of millions,” Oke stated, “but he can win their minds completely by approving long-overdue salary reviews and enhanced welfare packages for lecturers.”
Noting that Nigerian university lecturers are some of the lowest-paid professionals in the world—“no professor earns $500 a month,” he emphasized—Prof. Oke urged the president to complete what he called “the job of mind-capturing” ahead of the 2027 general elections. He also pointed out the vital role university staff and their students play in democratic processes, often serving as returning officers and polling officials during national elections.
While commending President Tinubu for taking decisive action where others had “met restraints,” Prof. Oke reminded the government that the future of the country rests on the quality of its manpower.
“Imagine the risks of poorly trained doctors, pilots, engineers,” he said. “That’s what university lecturers safeguard against every day—often under severe financial strain.”
Beyond political implications, the message from academia is clear: a functioning, adequately funded higher education sector is central to national development.
With this latest development, President Tinubu appears to have not only fulfilled a long-standing promise to the nation’s scholars but also planted seeds of renewed trust between the government and Nigeria’s intellectual community. Whether this will translate into long-term transformation depends, stakeholders say, on sustained commitment to reforms in education financing and governance.
“This giant called Nigeria,” Prof. Oke concluded, “shall rise and never fall again.”
Tinubu Clears Decades-Old Debt, Wins Praise from Nigerian University Community