Education
ASUU Matters: Comparing Apples With Apples
By Leonard Karshima Shilgba
Every so often, our ears are jarred with the hackneyed ASUU claims about the failure of the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay university dons in federal universities salaries they refer to as “African Average”.
ASUU usually cite wonderful “examples” of salaries paid university lecturers in African countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, and our neighbour Ghana. I have decided to provide and analyze relevant data in those countries in order to assist both the federal government and other public policy framers in Nigeria to fashion out a progressive direction for public universities in Nigeria (both federal and state-owned).
In making analysis, it is fair and appropriate to avoid Disproportionate Comparison Ratios (DCR). Accordingly, I will provide data on ranges of tuition fees and academic salaries at public universities in the four countries to see if tuition fees correspond to salaries paid academics.
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa has 26 public universities, among which is University of Pretoria, which hosts about one-third of South African students in universities in the country. The average undergraduate tuition fee (excluding other charges, which push up the cost for its students) for citizens at the university is 36, 000 South African Rand (ZAR) a year or 880, 480 naira (at the exchange rate of N24.68 to one rand). It should be noted that tuition fees at South African public universities vary according to degree programs.
The salaries of professors at the university range between 550,000 ZAR and 1,000,000 ZAR a year, while the median estimate is about 880,214 ZAR or 21, 723, 681.52 naira. This salary could be paid by about 27 students only. Let us compare to any federal university in Nigeria, where students don’t pay tuition fee. Can even 100 students pay the annual salary of any professor? The obvious answer is No.
At Stellenbosch University, another public university in South Africa, undergraduate tuition fees for South Africans range between 34,272 ZAR and 70,038 ZAR (N845,832.96 to N1,728,537.84). The highest paid professor at the university is paid about 1, 459,008 ZAR or N36,000, 317.44 per annum, which could be easily defrayed from tuition fees (excluding other charges). Tuition fees by only 40 or fewer students could defray this salary.
UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA
According to the 2020/21 fees schedule published by the university, undergraduate tuition fees (for nationals) are charged per credit unit (at a minimum of 30 units per session), and vary by degree programs as follows (Students are given the latitude to pay the fees in four equal instalments):
Engineering: 1,240 Botswana pula ($96.72) per credit unit.
Medicine: 1,380 pula ($107.64) per credit unit.
Others: 940 pula ($73.32) per credit unit.
(Exchange rate: 12.82 Botswana pula exchanges for one US dollar).
Therefore, minimum annual tuition fees at the University of Botswana are:
$3,229.20 (Medicine).
$2,901.60 (Engineering).
$2,199.60 (Others).
The monthly salaries of lecturers at the university range between 8, 320 pula or $648 (lowest) and 27,200 pula or $2,121.68 (highest). Do your math, and you will find that tuition fees (excluding other charges) from only 12 students from non-Engineering and non-Medicine programs can pay a professor’s annual salary! Now tell me, can all charges paid by 12 Nigerian undergraduate students pay the salary of one professor at any of the federal universities for even one quarter of a year? The answer is obvious, isn’t it?
UGANDA
I have chosen a top public Ugandan university for analysis. Makerere University is the best university in Uganda. From its published 2020/2021 schedule of fees, I have gleaned the following data:
As at University of Botswana, Makerere University’s tuition fees vary according to degree programs, but are paid on semester basis. The following range are undergraduate tuition fees for Ugandans and East Africans, and are quoted in Ugandan shillings (Shs), which exchange at the rate of about 3,785.47Shs to $1:
Lowest semester tuition fee (Bachelor of Arts) is 958, 151 Shs ($253.11), while the highest is 2,645,000 Shs ($698.81), which is for Dentistry. Besides, uniform fees called “Functional fees” are paid across programs as follows:
First semester: 860,954 Shs ($227.43).
Second semester: 132,250 Shs ($34.93).
Thus, excluding other charges such as Council for Higher Education (equivalent of Nigeria’s National Universities Commission) fees and others, Ugandan and East African undergraduates studying at Makerere University pay approximately between $768.60 and $1,660 per session.
The monthly salaries of lecturers of the University are between 1,790,000 Shs ($472.86) and 6,190,000 Shs ($1,635.20).
It is observed that, even without charging students tuition fees, the 35% salary increase offered by the Federal Government would make Nigerian professors to earn a little more than their colleagues at Makerere University, which charges its students in excess of 300,000 naira per session as tuition/functional fees!
GHANA
Public universities in Ghana charge annual undergraduate tuition fees in the range of 20,000 to 70,000 Ghana Cedis (GHC) or $2,006.02 to $7,021.06. However, the salaries of professors at those universities are below those of their Nigerian counterparts: Professors at public Ghanaian universities are paid between 94, 000 GHC ($9,428) and 98,000 GHC ($9,829.49) per annum (at the exchange rate of 9.97 GHC to $1)!
CONCLUSION: An objective reader may come to the conclusion that while there is a direct correlation between high tuition fees and academic salaries at South African universities and University of Botswana, the reverse is the case at Makerere University and Ghanaian public universities, where although comparatively high tuition fees are charged, academic salaries are not attractive.
However, Nigeria’s case is different from any of the cited cases above: No tuition fees are charged in federal universities, but their lecturers (who oppose tuition fees) want to be paid like their colleagues in South Africa, Botswana, and any other country where academics are paid better than they are here in Nigeria. I think ASUU needs to submit its arguments for public “accreditation” and review, and the federal government should practically hands off its universities to their respective governing councils to charge tuition fees and other charges as they require, and pay its staff whatever salaries they can afford and desire to attract and retain the most resourceful brains both from within and outside Nigeria. The Federal Government’s budgetary allocations or interventions through agencies such as TETFUND and NUC should be complementary, not primary funding. The time for fruitless pretence is up!
To engage me in further conversations on the subject, reach out @ProfShilgba on twitter or shilgba@yahoo.com
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