President Bola Tinubu
Over five thousand professors and senior members of the academic community from more than 130 tertiary institutions across Nigeria are expected to converge on Eagle Square, Abuja, in November to declare support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Coming under the aegis of Progressives in Academics (Pro-Acad), the organisers of the event said the declaration would be led by its convener, Prof. Bolarinwa Bolaji, as part of efforts to mobilise support for the continuation of the Tinubu administration beyond 2027.
Speaking at a pre-declaration briefing in Abuja on Monday, Professor Bolaji said the academic community had witnessed what he described as steady and unprecedented progress under the Tinubu administration.
He said the administration had improved the welfare of academic staff, strengthened institutional autonomy and introduced reforms aimed at revitalising the education sector.
“For decades, the Nigerian academic system suffered from poor remuneration, infrastructural decay and policy inconsistency. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that narrative has changed. The salaries and welfare of academic staff have recorded steady growth, with over 100 per cent increase compared to the past, restoring dignity, motivation and productivity to the system,” Bolaji said.
He highlighted the removal of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the settlement of outstanding earned allowances, the operationalisation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), increased funding for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other measures to revitalise the university system as some of the administration’s achievements.
According to him, NELFUND has benefited more than 500,000 students, while the reforms have strengthened confidence among academics and demonstrated the government’s commitment to restoring autonomy, dignity and respect to institutions of higher learning.
“President Tinubu has returned autonomy and respect to the Ivory Tower. This is why progressive academics have resolved to speak with one voice.
“The Eagle Square Declaration is our political contribution to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda is not truncated, but consolidated beyond 2027,” he added.
Bolaji disclosed that the official document to be presented at the gathering would be titled “Academic Declaration for Continuity and Renewed Hope 2027.”
He said the document would contain the academic community’s assessment of the Tinubu administration, highlight what Pro-Acad considers its key achievements in the education sector and outline the group’s resolution to support continuity beyond the 2027 presidential election.
He added that mobilisation was ongoing across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide ahead of the November event.
According to him, the gathering is expected to attract academics from more than 130 tertiary institutions across the country, making it, in his assessment, the largest gathering of academics for a political cause in Nigeria’s democratic history.
The Eagle Square declaration is expected to provide a platform for members of the academic community to publicly articulate their position on the administration’s reforms and their call for the continuation of the Renewed Hope Agenda beyond 2027.
