On Solution to ASUU Strike and Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure II (CONUASS II) in the Nigerian Universities Using Optimization Method

Abstract

In this paper, we applied a dynamic programming model for the optimization of Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure II (CONUASS II) for the overall interest of the academic staff and the Nigerian University System at large; the focus of this research was on the decision policy that would help to enhance the living conditions of lecturers in the Nigerian universities thereby averting frequent strikes and disruption of academic calendars; strikes delay students and affect their features; hence, anything that can stabilize the university education in Nigeria will contribute immensely to the economic growth and stability of the country. For us to achieve these objectives, we applied dynamic programming and developed an optimal decision policy to obtain the best optimal policy needed for the highest-ranking cadre in the academic to achieve optimal remuneration of at least twice their per annum salary with subsequent adjustment in the other cadres’ salaries accordingly; the researchers applied the optimal decision policy and obtained (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 0, 0) that optimizes the academic staff's earnings with a promotion to level 08 instead of remaining at the bar with many steps. If this policy is applied, a professor at the bar will grow to level 08 and will earn up to at least double his annual salary (N13,658,325) instead of the current stagnating salary of (N6,020,163) per annum at the bar; this will make the lecturers happy and discharge their duties with commitments thereby addressing the perennial strikes in the Nigerian universities.