FG, ASUU Sign New Agreement Featuring 40% Pay Rise, Professorial Allowance

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signed a renegotiated agreement designed to improve salaries, welfare, and working conditions across Nigeria’s public university system.

The agreement was formally presented on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, marking a major milestone in efforts to resolve long-standing disputes that have repeatedly disrupted academic activities in the country.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was closely involved in the process, opting for sustained dialogue as a means of addressing issues that have, for decades, affected academic calendars, staff morale, and student outcomes.

A key highlight of the agreement is a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff in federal tertiary institutions, effective from January 1, 2026. The adjustment was approved by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

The pay rise is implemented through a consolidated academic tools allowance incorporated into the salary structure. This allowance covers expenses such as journal publications, conference attendance, internet access, learned society memberships, and book purchases.

In addition, nine existing academic allowances have been restructured, made more transparent, and directly linked to duties performed, with the aim of promoting productivity, accountability, and fairness.

The agreement also introduces a new professorial credit allowance, the first of its kind approved by the Federal Government. Under this provision, professors will receive N1.8 million annually (approximately N140,000 monthly), while readers will earn N840,000 per year (about N70,000 monthly).

The allowance acknowledges the extensive teaching, research, administrative, and mentoring responsibilities of senior academics, and is expected to enable them to focus more on scholarship, innovation, and knowledge production.

Dr. Alausa confirmed that implementation has already begun, noting that the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has issued a circular directing full execution of the wage components.

The agreement is the outcome of a renegotiation process that began in 2017, following delays in reviewing the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, which was due for reassessment in 2012. Several committees set up between 2017 and 2022 failed to conclude a final collective bargaining agreement.

In October 2024, the current administration inaugurated a new renegotiation committee chaired by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, which successfully concluded talks after about 14 months.

ASUU’s most recent major strike occurred in October 2025, when the union embarked on a two-week nationwide action, its 18th strike in 26 years, over unresolved demands and prolonged negotiation delays. The strike was later suspended following overnight talks with the government.

Stakeholders have described the new agreement as a significant breakthrough, expected to address persistent challenges such as inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, delayed payments, and outdated conditions of service.

There is optimism that the deal will usher in lasting industrial harmony, improve teaching and research conditions, and strengthen Nigeria’s higher education system.