By John Umeh
The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have unveiled a newly renegotiated agreement designed to bring an end to recurring strikes and prolonged closures of public universities across the country.
The 2025 agreement marks the culmination of a long and often stalled renegotiation process to review the 2009 FG–ASUU pact, which was originally scheduled for revision in 2012. Previous attempts under committees led by Wale Babalakin, Munzali Jibrin and Nimi Briggs failed to produce a conclusive outcome.
A breakthrough, however, emerged under the current administration following the inauguration of a renegotiation committee headed by Yayale Ahmed in October 2024. After about 14 months of negotiations, both parties reached consensus on key reforms aimed at addressing deep-rooted challenges in Nigeria’s university system.
The new agreement prioritises improved conditions of service, sustainable funding, university autonomy, academic freedom and structural reforms intended to reverse years of decline, stem the brain drain and reposition universities for national development.
One of the most significant outcomes of the deal is a 40 per cent increase in the salaries of academic staff in federal universities, effective January 1, 2026. Under the revised pay structure, remuneration will consist of the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary alongside a newly introduced Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, which accounts for the salary increase.
The tools allowance is meant to support essential academic functions such as research, journal publications, conference attendance, internet access, professional memberships and the purchase of academic materials, with the goal of boosting productivity and retaining skilled scholars.
In addition, the agreement reorganises nine earned academic allowances to ensure transparency and equity, with payments now strictly tied to duties actually performed. These cover responsibilities such as postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, examination roles and leadership positions within universities.
For the first time, the Federal Government has also approved a Professorial Cadre Allowance. Under this provision, full professors will receive ₦1.74 million annually, while readers will earn ₦840,000 per year. The government described the initiative as a structural reform to recognise experience, enhance professional dignity and strengthen the academic career path.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the agreement signals a renewed commitment by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to uninterrupted academic calendars and improved welfare for lecturers.
According to Alausa, the deal represents more than a formal document, describing it as a turning point built on renewed trust and restored confidence in Nigeria’s tertiary education system. He credited President Tinubu with personally driving the process, noting that the president took direct ownership of a problem that had lingered for decades.
He said unresolved welfare issues and remuneration disputes had fuelled repeated industrial actions in the past, disrupting students’ education and eroding confidence in public universities. The current administration, he stressed, chose dialogue and reform over confrontation and delay.
The education minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to full implementation of the agreement under the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that the pact ushers in a new era of stability, dignity and excellence in the university system.
ASUU, while welcoming the agreement, warned that several structural and governance challenges still threaten the long-term sustainability of Nigerian universities.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, acknowledged the government’s efforts but attributed the prolonged renegotiation process to what he described as a historical lack of sincerity on the part of successive administrations. He noted that although the agreement is a major step forward, it does not resolve persistent issues such as government interference in university autonomy, weak accountability structures, poor implementation of research funding and declining academic standards.
Piwuna identified continued encroachment on university autonomy as one of the most serious unresolved concerns. He said governing councils, which are legally the highest decision-making bodies in universities, are frequently dissolved or overruled, while vice-chancellors are sometimes imposed despite not emerging as the best candidates.
According to ASUU, such practices undermine meritocracy, create legitimacy crises and often lead to internal conflicts, litigation and staff polarisation within universities.
On funding, the union stressed that research financing remains grossly inadequate, warning that without sustained investment, universities risk becoming mere teaching institutions disconnected from innovation and national development. While the agreement provides for forwarding the National Research Council Bill to the National Assembly, ASUU expressed concern over uncertainties surrounding its implementation. The proposed bill would allocate at least one per cent of GDP to research and development.
ASUU also rejected claims that funds are released directly to the union, describing such narratives as misleading and a distraction from deeper accountability problems within university management. It cited repeated allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement against some vice-chancellors as evidence of systemic governance failures.
The union further criticised what it termed the growing “consultancy syndrome,” alleging that funds secured through collective bargaining are increasingly diverted through consultants, sometimes with the complicity of regulatory authorities.
ASUU also raised concerns over falling academic standards in some newly created Federal Universities of Education converted from colleges of education, accusing certain institutions of promoting chief lecturers to professorial ranks without due process or established guidelines.
Beyond the education sector, the union linked the success of the agreement to Nigeria’s broader economic and social conditions, citing the effects of fuel subsidy removal, currency devaluation, rising costs of living, insecurity and declining real wages.
While expressing cautious optimism, ASUU said its confidence in the agreement’s implementation remains guarded based on past experiences. The union, however, expressed hope that full implementation of the 2025 renegotiated agreement would eliminate the need for future strike actions.
