Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The management of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has rejected claims that some of its employees earn below the national minimum wage, clarifying that the individuals cited in a recent online report are not staff of the institution but part-time workers engaged by private hostel developers. The university, in a statement issued on Monday, June 29, 2026, by its Director of University Relations, Professor Saeedat Aliyu, described the allegations as "malicious, false and unfounded" and urged the public to disregard them.
The controversy erupted after a report surfaced alleging that some workers at the university were earning between N30,000 and N37,000 monthly, despite Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's advocacy for a N100,000 national minimum wage. The report quoted some hostel porters as claiming they had yet to benefit from the implementation of the current N70,000 minimum wage, while also complaining about poor conditions of service, lack of job security, and the absence of pension benefits.
In its rebuttal, the university insisted that all its staff—whether teaching, non-teaching, or technology staff—are paid salaries comparable to those earned by their counterparts in federal universities across Nigeria. "The public should note that all staff of Kwara State University, Malete, whether teaching, non-teaching or technology staff, are paid salaries commensurate with what staff of federal universities in Nigeria receive," the statement read.
KWASU further clarified that the individuals featured in the report were part-time workers engaged by owners of privately developed student hostels in and around the university community, and are not on the institution's payroll. "The personnel referred to in the publication are not staff of the university but workers engaged on a part-time basis to oversee student hostels built by private individuals in and around the university. This category of workers is not employed by Kwara State University and is not on the institution's payroll," the statement added.
The university also faulted the report's suggestion that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's call for a higher national minimum wage was a publicity stunt. "The claim of the online outlet, which accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of a supposed publicity stunt over the payment of N100,000 minimum wage, is spurious and undeserving of any media house which is expected to do its due findings before making unfounded allegations," the statement said.
KWASU further commended the state government for what it described as sustained support to the institution, saying the assistance had contributed to its academic and research growth. It urged members of the public to disregard the publication, insisting that the allegations lacked merit.
The workers, however, had earlier expressed frustration over their conditions. According to The Harmattan News, employees at KWASU had publicly criticized Governor AbdulRazaq, labeling his advocacy for a N100,000 minimum wage as a publicity stunt. "It is difficult to understand why the governor is advocating a N100,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers when many of us working in a state-owned university are still being paid N30,000 or N37,000 every month," one staff member was quoted as saying. "Let the Kwara State Government first implement the existing N70,000 minimum wage for all categories of workers under its control."
Workers also noted that their salaries have been rendered virtually worthless by record inflation and surging transportation costs, with one employee who has served the university for a decade noting that his salary had only seen a modest increase of N10,000 in that time, while the cost of a daily commute had skyrocketed from N200 to over N3,000.
The university's response, however, draws a clear line between its permanent staff and the part-time porters, insisting that the latter are not its responsibility. As the debate over minimum wage implementation continues, the university has urged the public to rely only on verified information from official sources.
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