Tigray university lecturers unpaid for 12 to 14 months

Tikvah Ethiopia and Tikvah Education both reported on Tikimt 11, 2019 E.C. (21 October 2026) that lecturers at public universities in Tigray have gone without salary for many months. The reports say this has left the lecturers and their families facing severe economic hardship.

The association's public relations officer, Sisay Bekele, told Tikvah Ethiopia that Axum, Adigrat and Raya universities have gone 12 months without pay, and Mekelle University 14 months. The table sets out the figures as he gave them.

The association said its council assembly had discussed the lecturers' problem as a priority. The reports do not give the date of that assembly.

The report concerns lecturers teaching at public universities in Tigray. It names four of them: Axum, Adigrat, Raya and Mekelle. It does not say whether the same delay applies at other public universities in the region or elsewhere in the country.

The association says some lecturers from these universities have been posted outside the region, and that this is why it is checking how many lecturers will benefit from the support. The reports do not say how many lecturers are affected in total.

No date has been given for when the unpaid salaries will be made up or when the support will start. The reports do not list any fee, document or deadline for lecturers to meet.

• How and in what form the support will be given. The association says this will be announced later, after it has talked with representatives of each university.
• The total number of lecturers who will receive support. The association says this is still being verified.
• A lasting solution. The association says talks with the government on a permanent fix are continuing, and the reports do not give any outcome.

The reports do not ask anything of lecturers directly. The association has said it will announce how the support will reach lecturers once it has talked with university representatives, so that announcement is the one to watch for. Lecturers can also ask their own university's representatives about the verification, since the association is working through them.

• An announcement from the Ethiopian Universities Lecturers Association on how and when the support will be given.
• Updates on the talks with the government about a lasting fix to the salary problem.
• Confirmation from each university of which of its lecturers are counted in the verification.

The reports do not say why the salaries were not paid, or which office is responsible for them. The figures of 12 and 14 months do show that the problem has lasted for a long time.

The association's response has two parts: temporary support for lecturers, which it is raising, and talks with the government to find a lasting solution. The reports do not describe the government's answer to those talks.