• As NAAT demands N350,000 minimum wage

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman has assured that all outstanding welfare issues of non-teaching staff in the federal universities will be resolved soon.

The Minister, who disclosed this in Abuja at the opening of the national delegates conference of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), said the Federal Government is desirous of ensuring the stability of academic calendars across all the federal universities.

He also restated his earlier stand that the entry point of students into universities will be pegged at 18 years.

“While I cannot put a timeframe to the settlement of all outstanding salaries, the unions know we are trying our best to resolve the issues in dispute. As of now, we are happy and they are happy. On the entry point into the universities, we know that there are countries that have years of entry into primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

“We also know that entering primary schools and secondary schools may not pose a challenge because most children are still under the guidance of their parents, unlike the university where they are expected to be independent. Therefore, they do things on their own without the presence of their parents, sometimes, their brains cannot assimilate what is taught at that level. Of course, we know that some extremely brilliant studies can cope below the age of 18. But generally, we think that our children should mature very well before being thrown into the world of adults.”

In his address, President of the Union, Ibeji Nwokoma, demanded N350,000 national minimum wage as the national committee on minimum wage is rounding up its assignment .

The NAAT President insisted that the 2024 national wage floor must be a living wage and no longer a starvation wage that the president N30,000 represents.

His words: “Nigeria must transcend the concept of a mere minimum wage to embrace the notion of a living wage, commensurate with the rising cost of living. Comparatively, other African countries have made strides in this regard, recognizing the fundamental right of workers to earn wages that afford them dignity and a decent standard of living.

“According to the Wisevoter report, Seychelles boasts the highest estimated gross monthly wage in Africa, standing at $465.4, while South Africa’s monthly wage stands at $240. The naira equivalent of the wages of these countries would depict the sorry state of the Nigerian worker. On this note, I proposed a minimum of Three Hundred of Fifty Thousand Naira (N350,000) for the Nigerian worker as monthly wage.”

Nwokoma noted that the removal of fuel subsidies and liberalisation of the exchange rate have deepened poverty in the country.

While bemoaning the hardships ordinary Nigerians are going through, Nwokoma stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive policy framework to mitigate the prevailing adverse effects of Bola Tinubu’s economic policies.

He highlighted that chosen ‘Technology, a recipe for national development and socioeconomic growth in the 21st century: The Nigeria quest for a better tomorrow’ as the theme of the delegates’ conference was informed by the current state of the country.

The NAAT boss stressed that despite concerted efforts by the association, the release of circulars for CONTISS 14 and 15 remained elusive, hampering the career progression of its members.

He also lamented the non-payment of backlog salaries is injurious to the financial stability of his members and causing disaffection and low morale.

On the low funding of education, Nwokoma said Nigeria has not met the 26 per cent of the total budget for the education system as recommended by UNESCO.

“UNESCO-recommended allocation of at least 26% of the national budget to education, Nigeria continues to fall short. The consequence is evident in the deteriorating state of our universities and other tertiary institutions, marked by inadequate funding and infrastructural decay. This chronic underfunding hamper academic excellence and impedes the development of human capital, hindering the progress of our nation,” he said.