Sir: While attempting to strengthen the education reform, the federal government through the Ministry of Education realised the imperative need of sealing the 2025 labour agreement it had with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

As part of the Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigerian universities, the president thought of repositioning the public university system and entrench lasting industrial harmony in the education sector.

To celebrate the historic milestone, key stakeholders from the executive, legislature, labour, NUC, TETFund and the academic community at the federal were brought together as witnesses to national commitment to dialogue, stability, and sustainable development in higher education in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Minster of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, emphasised that the agreement would lay a solid foundation against recurring strikes and prolonged academic disruptions. A key component of the agreement is the 40 per cent upward review of the emoluments of university academic staff, with effect from January 1, 2026.

After the sealing of the agreement, the FG and ASUU issued a communique and they urged all the state governments to fully embrace and domesticate the contents in their respective states. Without wasting time at all, some of the state governments such as Abia, Ekiti, Osun and Enugu have responded promptly by implementing the agreement in their universities.

It is however a sad irony that Lagos State that often presents itself as the Centre of Excellence and a supposed standard template of good governance system in Nigeria is now becoming an embarrassment and a bad example of how not to implement a forward-looking policy and renewed partnership between government and academia.

Almost nine months after the agreement had been signed between Federal Government and ASUU, and other financially less-buoyant states have started paying the new salaries to their university workers, it is fundamentally troubling that Lagos State has continued to demonstrate its unwillingness to pay the new salary structure.

Going by the governor’s eight-month silence about the issue and his open declaration at the last Lagos State University convocation in August that the coming administration will see to the welfare of the lecturers, there is no other interpretation to that outburst than a clear sabotage and a direct attempt at undermining Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda especially, as it affects rescuing public university education.

Sanwo-Olu cannot convincingly claim its government lacks financial strength to pay the bill. Just within the week, Lagos State was reported to have generated N1.77 trillion in Internally Generated Income (IGR) in 2025, accounting for more than a third of the combined revenue generated by 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Before Sanwo-Olu became the Governor of the State, Lagos State University lecturers were earning more than University of Lagos staff because of ‘Lagos factor.’ Why is he now dragging the state backward?

What then is Sanwo-Olu’s logic for not paying? Whatever it is, if it is to save money, it is a dubious economy, if it is to assert state autonomy over Tinubu’s agreements, it is autonomy misapplied. This is just a repeat of what happened in Osun State during the regimes of Aregbesola and Oyetola that laid the foundation of All Progressive Congress APC losing Osun State to PDP.

Sanwo-Olu may think he is not contesting in the next election and may be ready to damn the consequence but then, is it proper for him to undermine the chances of the party that provided the platform for him to serve in Lagos State? Is it also appropriate for him to weaken APC’s chance to win Lagos in the coming election?

Available evidences about the existing three universities in Lagos show that they all struggle to survive. Forget all the social media rating. LASU especially, lacks most basic amenities that could enhance productive learning. As a result of lack of classrooms, students who registered for physical class have been forced to migrate to online class yet, there is no functional Internet anywhere in the school. Besides, there are shortage of academic staff and standard laboratories to teach some courses. Is this how to run universities that will compete with others in civilized clime?

The truth is, if Lagos State, the political base of President Tinubu remains adamant to implement a federally initiated policy that revalues lecturing, it portends a dangerous precedent and an unenviable model for other struggling states. The consequence, no doubt can be grave as the entire policy risks flopping and a possible revert to pre-Tinubu era when schools were mindlessly closed for a whole session.

The Lagos State government, the House of Assembly and the Governing Councils of each universities must read the mood of the nation, Nigerian lecturers are not begging for charity, they are only asking for dignity in service.

Now, Sanwo-Olu should have a rethink and act like an astute leader he wants Lagosians to perceive him. He should quickly instruct his appointed officers to commence the process of full implementation of the FGN/ASUU 2025 agreement across the three Lagos State-owned universities and ensure the payment of arrears from January 1, 2026.

Dr. Olugbenga Owolabi lives in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.