FG, ASUU Seal Deal to End Recurring Strikes, Stabilise Universities

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…the FG approved a new Professorial Cadre Allowance for senior academics for the first time.

ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Federal Government (FG) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday unveiled a renegotiated agreement designed to address long-standing disputes in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, which have fuelled repeated strikes and prolonged university closures.

The 2025 agreement concludes a renegotiation process that began in 2017 to review the 2009 FG–ASUU pact, originally scheduled for revision in 2012. Previous renegotiation efforts under committees led by Wale Babalakin, Munzali Jibrin and Nimi Briggs failed to produce a final outcome.

A breakthrough was achieved under the current administration with the inauguration of a renegotiation committee chaired by Yayale Ahmed in October 2024. After about 14 months of deliberations, both parties reached an agreement centred on improved conditions of service, better funding, university autonomy, academic freedom and comprehensive reforms aimed at reversing systemic decay, curbing brain drain and repositioning universities for national development.

A key feature of the agreement is a 40 per cent increase in the remuneration of academic staff in federal universities, effective from January 1, 2026. Under the new structure, salaries will comprise a Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary alongside a Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, which accounts for the increment.

The tools allowance is intended to support core academic activities such as research, journal publications, conference attendance, internet access, membership of learned societies and book purchases, with the goal of enhancing productivity and reducing the exodus of academics.

The agreement also restructures nine earned academic allowances to promote transparency and fairness by linking payments strictly to specific duties, including postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical responsibilities, examination duties and leadership roles.

In addition, the FG approved a new Professorial Cadre Allowance for senior academics for the first time. Under this provision, professors will receive ₦1.74 million annually, while readers will earn ₦840,000 per year. FG described the measure as a structural and transformative intervention to recognise experience, improve welfare and strengthen the academic profession.

Speaking at the unveiling in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the agreement signalled a renewed commitment by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to uninterrupted academic calendars and improved welfare for university lecturers. He described the deal as more than a formal document, calling it “renewed trust, restored confidence and a decisive turning point” for Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

Alausa credited President Tinubu with personally driving the process, noting that it was the first time a sitting president had taken full ownership of the challenge confronting the university system. He said the administration opted for dialogue over discord and reform over delay, stressing that the new allowances were not cosmetic but structural, practical and transformative.

He added that the agreement ushered in a new era of stability, dignity and excellence for Nigerian universities and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to its faithful implementation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

However, ASUU cautioned that despite the signing of the 2025 renegotiated agreement, deep-rooted structural, governance and socio-economic challenges still threaten the sustainability of the university system.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, acknowledged the government’s efforts but said the prolonged delay in renegotiation stemmed from what he described as a lack of sincerity on the part of past administrations. He noted that while the agreement was significant, it did not resolve persistent issues such as government interference in university autonomy, weak accountability in university management, poor implementation of research funding, declining academic standards and the wider national economic crisis.

The union stressed that FG encroachment on university autonomy remains a major unresolved issue, citing arbitrary dissolution of governing councils and political interference in vice-chancellor appointments, which it said undermines meritocracy and fuels internal crises.

On funding, ASUU warned that research financing in Nigerian universities has remained grossly inadequate for decades, cautioning that without sustained investment, institutions risk becoming teaching-only centres detached from innovation and development. While welcoming provisions to forward the National Research Council Bill to the National Assembly, the union expressed uncertainty over its implementation.

ASUU also criticised what it termed the “Consultancy Syndrome” in university administration, alleged corruption among some vice-chancellors, and declining academic standards, particularly in newly converted Federal Universities of Education.

Beyond the university system, the union linked the success of the agreement to Nigeria’s worsening economic and social conditions, including inflation, naira devaluation, rising transportation costs, insecurity and unemployment, which it said have eroded real wages and limited access to higher education.

While expressing readiness to work with the government, ASUU said its optimism about the full implementation of the agreement remained cautious, based on past experiences. The union, however, expressed hope that it would not need to resort to strike action to ensure compliance with the terms of the 2025 agreement.