The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, have signed a far-reaching agreement aimed at ending recurring strikes in public universities and improving the welfare of academic staff.
The pact, known as the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU Agreement, was unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who described it as a major turning point in efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s tertiary education system after years of industrial unrest.
According to Alausa, the agreement represents a renewal of trust between the government and university lecturers and signals a decisive shift towards industrial harmony in the sector.
“This is more than the unveiling of a document. It symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence and a decisive turning point in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary education system,” the minister said.
He attributed the breakthrough to the direct intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that it was the first time a sitting president personally addressed the long-standing disputes that repeatedly disrupted academic calendars across the country.
“For the first time in our history, a sitting President confronted this challenge head-on and gave it the leadership attention it truly deserved,” Alausa said.
A key feature of the agreement is the approval of a 40 per cent increase in the salaries of university lecturers, endorsed by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC, with effect from January 1, 2026.
Under the new pay structure, lecturers’ earnings will consist of the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary, CONUASS, alongside an enhanced Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, CATA. The improved CATA is expected to support research, publications, conference attendance, internet access, professional memberships and book development, with the aim of boosting global competitiveness and addressing brain drain.
The agreement also provides for the restructuring of nine Earned Academic Allowances, which have now been clearly defined and linked to specific academic responsibilities, including postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, examinations and leadership roles.
In another development described as unprecedented in the university system, the Federal Government approved a Professorial Cadre Allowance for full-time Professors and Readers. Under the arrangement, Professors will earn N1.74 million annually, or N140,000 monthly, while Readers will receive N840,000 annually, translating to N70,000 monthly.
Alausa said the new allowance is intended to strengthen research coordination, academic documentation and administrative efficiency, allowing senior academics to devote more time to teaching, mentorship and innovation.
“This intervention is not cosmetic. It is structural, practical and transformative,” he said.
The minister assured that the Federal Government remains committed to the full implementation of the agreement under the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that sustained dialogue and reforms would continue in the education sector.
He also commended members of the negotiating teams led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed for the Federal Government and Professor Pius Piwuna for ASUU, as well as the immediate past ASUU leadership under Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, for their roles in reaching the agreement.
Education stakeholders have expressed optimism that the deal will usher in a new era of stability in Nigerian universities, restore predictability to academic calendars and renew confidence among students and parents.
“With this agreement sealed,” Alausa said, “history will remember today not just as an unveiling ceremony, but as the day Nigeria chose dialogue, transparency and strong presidential commitment to resolve long-standing challenges in the university system.”
