The Federal Government has reached a renegotiated agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), securing a landmark 40 per cent pay increase and introducing a new professorial allowance for university academics. The move aims to boost staff morale, improve productivity, and strengthen Nigeria’s public university system.
The agreement was unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja by Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education. It comes after decades of unresolved wage disputes, welfare gaps, and recurring industrial actions that have disrupted academic activities across federal universities.
Dr. Alausa said President Bola Tinubu personally intervened to resolve long-standing disputes that have plagued the system for decades.
“For too long, unresolved remuneration and welfare issues undermined staff morale and disrupted academic calendars. Under President Tinubu, we chose dialogue over discord, reform over delay, and resolution over rhetoric,” he said.
A central feature of the deal is the 40 per cent salary increase for university academic staff, effective from January 1, 2026. The raise is implemented through a consolidated academic tools allowance, covering journal publications, conference attendance, internet access, membership in learned societies, and book allowances.
Nine previously existing academic allowances have been restructured to ensure clarity, transparency, and accountability, with benefits strictly tied to the duties performed.
The agreement also introduces the first-ever professorial credit allowance approved by the federal government. Full-time professors will receive an additional N1.8 million annually (≈N140,000 monthly), while academic readers will get N840,000 annually (≈N70,000 monthly).
The allowance is intended to support research coordination, academic documentation, and administrative efficiency, allowing senior academics to focus on teaching, mentorship, innovation, and knowledge production.
Implementation has already begun, with the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission issuing a circular directing full compliance.
The agreement is the culmination of a renegotiation process that started in 2017, following delays in revisiting the 2009 agreement due for renegotiation in 2012. Several committees under previous administrations—including those chaired by Wale Babalakin, Munzali Jibrin, and Nimi Briggs—failed to produce a collective bargaining outcome.
The current administration inaugurated a renegotiation committee led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed in October 2024, reaching an agreement after 14 months of deliberation.
ASUU’s most recent nationwide strike occurred in October 2025, marking the union’s 18th strike in 26 years.
