The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday unveiled a renegotiated agreement aimed at resolving long-standing disputes that have plagued Nigeria’s tertiary education sector and led to repeated strikes and prolonged university closures.
The 2025 agreement concludes a renegotiation process that began in 2017 to review the 2009 FG–ASUU pact, which was originally scheduled for revision in 2012. Several committees constituted by previous administrations—chaired by Wale Babalakin, Munzali Jibrin and Nimi Briggs—failed to reach a final agreement.
A breakthrough emerged under the current administration, which inaugurated a new renegotiation committee led by Yayale Ahmed in October 2024. After about 14 months of engagement, both parties reached an agreement focused on improved conditions of service, funding, university autonomy, academic freedom and broader reforms aimed at reversing decay in the sector, curbing brain drain and repositioning universities for national development.
A key highlight of the agreement is a 40 per cent upward review of the remuneration of academic staff in federal universities, effective January 1, 2026. Under the new pay structure, salaries will consist of the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary and a Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, which accounts for the 40 per cent increment.
The tools allowance is designed to support core academic activities such as research, journal publications, conference participation, internet access, learned society membership and book procurement, with the goal of boosting productivity and retaining talent in the university system.
The agreement also restructures nine earned academic allowances to enhance transparency and fairness by tying payments strictly to duties performed. These include postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical responsibilities, examination duties and leadership roles.
In addition, the Federal Government approved a new Professorial Cadre Allowance for senior academics for the first time. Under this provision, full-time professors will receive ₦1.74 million annually, while readers will earn ₦840,000 per year. The government described the allowance as a structural and transformative intervention aimed at recognising experience, restoring dignity and strengthening the academic profession.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the agreement reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to uninterrupted academic calendars and improved welfare for university lecturers. He described the deal as more than a formal document, calling it “a renewal of trust, restored confidence, and a decisive turning point in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.”
Alausa credited President Tinubu with personally driving the process, noting that it marked the first time a sitting president had taken full ownership of the long-standing crisis in the university system. He said decades of unresolved welfare issues had triggered repeated industrial actions, but the current administration opted for “dialogue over discord, reform over delay, and resolution over rhetoric.”
He added that the agreement ushers in “a new era of stability, dignity, and excellence” for Nigerian universities and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to faithful implementation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, ASUU cautioned that despite the signing of the agreement, deep-rooted structural, governance and socio-economic challenges continue to threaten the sustainability of Nigeria’s university system.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, acknowledged the government’s efforts but said the prolonged delay in concluding the agreement was due to what he described as a lack of sincerity by successive administrations. He noted that while the agreement was significant, it did not resolve critical issues such as government interference in university autonomy, weak accountability in management, poor implementation of research funding, declining academic standards and the broader national economic crisis.
Piwuna stressed that government encroachment into university autonomy remains one of the most unresolved issues, citing the frequent dissolution of governing councils, rejection of council recommendations, and imposition of preferred candidates in vice-chancellor appointments. According to him, such practices undermine meritocracy, fuel internal conflicts and erode institutional credibility.
On funding, ASUU said decades of inadequate research financing have left universities struggling to contribute meaningfully to innovation and national development. While the agreement provides for forwarding the National Research Council Bill to the National Assembly—which proposes allocating at least one per cent of GDP to research—the union warned that implementation remains uncertain.
ASUU also criticised public narratives suggesting that funds are released directly to the union, saying such claims obscure accountability failures within university administration. It cited allegations of corruption, contract irregularities and financial recklessness involving some vice-chancellors as evidence of systemic governance weaknesses.
The union further raised concerns about declining academic standards, particularly in newly converted Federal Universities of Education, alleging improper promotion practices and the erosion of established academic benchmarks.
Beyond the university system, ASUU linked the success of the agreement to Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, citing fuel subsidy removal, naira devaluation, rising costs, insecurity and declining real wages. It warned that without addressing these broader challenges, the gains of the renegotiated agreement could be undermined.
While expressing cautious optimism, ASUU said it hopes full implementation of the agreement will not require industrial action, adding that “the country must be rescued and rebuilt in the interest of the people.”
