ASUU, FG Seal Historic Deal On Salaries, Pensions, Research Funding
By MELVIN KOFFA
ATFER more than 16 years of stalled negotiations, industrial disputes and repeated strikes, the Federal Government has approved a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff in federal universities, marking a major breakthrough in its long-running standoff with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The agreement, unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, also introduces enhanced pension benefits, a new funding framework for universities, and a Professorial Head Allowance for the first time in Nigeria’s history. The deal is expected to take effect from 1st January 2026.
Under the new arrangement, professors will now retire at the age of 70 with pensions equivalent to their final annual salary. Academic staff will also benefit from the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, covering expenses such as journal publications, conference participation, internet access, professional memberships and books. According to the minister, a professor could earn an additional ₦1.8 million annually under the new structure.
Alausa said the agreement reflects President Bola Tinubu’s decision to prioritise dialogue over confrontation, stressing that unresolved welfare issues had for decades disrupted academic calendars and contributed to the brain drain in Nigeria’s university system.
A key component of the agreement is the proposed establishment of a National Research Council, which will receive statutory funding of at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product to strengthen research, innovation and development.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, welcomed the deal, describing it as the outcome of a renegotiation process that began in 2017 after the failure to review the 2009 agreement as scheduled. He noted that multiple renegotiation committees had collapsed before the current government concluded talks in December 2025.
While hailing the agreement, ASUU raised concerns about lingering issues such as weak university autonomy, political interference in governance, and alleged financial mismanagement by some vice-chancellors.
Experts and student leaders have also welcomed the agreement but cautioned that its success depends on full implementation, sincerity and transparency. The National Association of Nigerian Students urged both parties to honour the deal to avoid a return to prolonged strikes.
