Professor who claimed keke riders earn more than lecturers is suspended by university

The management of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, has suspended Professor Nnamdi Chinwendu Nwaeze of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, following comments he made about the earnings of university professors.

Nwaeze had used his Facebook page to question the remuneration of academics at the institution, alleging that some professors earn less than N400,000 a month.

He further stirred debate by claiming that the combined income of some commercial tricycle operators, popularly known as keke riders, is higher than what professors at ABSU take home.

The university management subsequently moved against the lecturer, saying the social media publications were “inimical to the interests of the institution.”

The suspension, which takes immediate effect, was conveyed in a statement signed by Chijioke Nwogu, the university’s Public Relations Officer and Deputy Registrar.

According to the statement, the university has constituted an investigative panel to examine the circumstances surrounding Nwaeze’s posts and determine the appropriate course of action.

The development has brought renewed attention to the long-running debate over the welfare and remuneration of Nigerian university lecturers, particularly amid concerns about the ability of academic salaries to keep pace with inflation and the rising cost of living.

Available academic records independently identify Nwaeze as an academic in ABSU’s Department of Economics, with research interests including development economics and macroeconomics.

Nwaeze has also held an administrative role at the university. The Nation reported in February 2026 that he handed over as director of ABSU’s Information and Communication Services after five years in the position, describing him in the report as a Professor of Development Economics.

Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze

The university’s decision to set up a panel means the allegations surrounding the lecturer’s comments are now subject to an internal investigation. Until that process is concluded, the claims about professors’ earnings remain allegations attributed to Nwaeze and should not be treated as independently established salary figures.

The controversy, however, has placed a familiar question back in the spotlight: how much does Nigeria’s university system value the academics expected to produce its next generation of professionals?