The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signed a fresh renegotiated agreement aimed at restoring stability, rebuilding trust, and improving the quality of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
Unveiling the agreement in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the pact reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to accessible, quality education and uninterrupted academic calendars. He noted that the President took personal responsibility for resolving long-standing disputes in the university system.
A major highlight of the agreement is a 40 per cent upward review of the remuneration of academic staff in federal tertiary institutions. The increase, approved by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, will take effect from January 1, 2026. It is captured under a consolidated academic tools allowance covering journal publications, conference participation, internet access, learned society membership, and book allowances.
The agreement also restructures nine previously earned academic allowances, making them more transparent and strictly tied to duties performed, in a bid to promote productivity, accountability, and fairness.
In addition, the Federal Government approved a new professorial credit allowance, the first of its kind. Under the arrangement, professors will receive ₦1.8 million per annum (about ₦140,000 monthly), while academic readers will earn ₦840,000 per annum (₦70,000 monthly), in recognition of their extensive research, administrative, and scholarly responsibilities.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Pinuwa, described the agreement as the outcome of a renegotiation process that began in 2017 and commended the Tinubu administration for seeing it to completion. However, he noted that challenges remain, particularly persistent government interference in university autonomy, which he described as a major threat to the survival and effectiveness of Nigeria’s university system.
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