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… 40% salary increase for lecturers takes effect January 1, 2026 — Alausa
… says FG committed to faithful implementation of the agreement
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… 40% salary increase for lecturers takes effect January 1, 2026 — Alausa
… says FG committed to faithful implementation of the agreement
The agreement unveiling and signing ceremony, which seems like a ‘Long Walk to Freedom, ‘ took place at the auditorium of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), filled with top government functionaries, Vice-chancellors, former Presidents of ASUU led by the current President, Prof. Chris Piwuna and other stakeholders.
ASUU reached an agreement with the Federal Government in December 2025, 16 years after the last agreement was signed in 2009.
The agreement, whose component includes the upward review of emoluments of University Academic by 40% to enhance morale, improve the quality of service delivery and global competitiveness of Nigerian Tertiary Educational institutions, while reversing brain drain, takes effect from January 1, 2025.
FG begins implementation ahead of agreement signing with ASUU
Speaking at the landmark event, the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to faithful implementation of the agreement, continuous engagement, and sustained reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He commended Yayale Ahmed, chairman of the renegotiation committee and his team for the great work and commitment to the advancement of tertiary education in the country.
“This agreement ushers in a new era of stability, dignity, and excellence for Nigeria’s tertiary education system. It restores confidence to our lecturers, predictability to academic calendars, and hope to millions of students and parents across the country,” he said.
Alausa highlighted the core provisions of the landmark 2025 FGN–ASUU Agreement, which he noted was negotiated transparently and approved strictly in line with established government procedures.
According to him, the agreement, first, provides for the review of the remuneration package of academic staff in Federal Tertiary Institutions, as approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), with effect from 1st January 2026.
He said: “Key components of this Agreement include: the Emolument of University Academic be reviewed upward by 40% to enhance morale, improve quality of service delivery and global competitiveness of Nigerian Tertiary Educational institutions, while reversing Brain Drain.
“Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS) and Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA). The Salary Structure will comprise CONUASS and CATA.
“The 40% review will be represented by consolidated academic tools allowance and is peculiar to university academic staff.
“The Consolidated Academic Tools Allowances cover journal publications, conference participation, internet access, learned society membership, and book allowances, which are critical tools required for effective teaching, research, and global academic competitiveness.
“Earned Academic Allowances: These allowances, NINE (9) in number, are now clearly structured, transparently earned, and strictly tied to duties performed, thereby promoting productivity, accountability, and fairness.
“This group of allowances also consists of enhanced provisions for postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, moderation, examination responsibilities, and leadership roles within the tertiary education system,” the Minister stated.
He also announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved new allowances for senior academics at the level of full-time Professors and Readers in the tertiary institutions.
Under the new special allowance, a professor will get N1,740,000 annually, equivalent to N140,000 per month and N840,000 annually, equivalent to ₦70,000 per month for readers.
Tagged ‘Professorial Cadre Allowance’, the Minister explained that this was specifically designed to support research coordination, academic documentation, correspondence, and administrative efficiency, thereby enabling scholars to focus more effectively on teaching, innovation, mentorship, and global knowledge production.
He emphasised that this defining feature of the agreement directly responds to the daily operational realities of our senior academics.
“For the first time, the Federal Government has approved a new Professorial Cadre Allowance. This allowance applies to senior academics at the level of full-time Professors and Readers in our tertiary institutions.
“Let me emphasise clearly that this allowance applies strictly to full-time, and not part-time, professors and readers.
“This approval recognises the significant workload, administrative, scholarly, and research responsibilities borne by academics at these levels by virtue of their positions. The allowance is structured as follows: N1,740,000 per annum — equivalent to N140,000 per month — for Professors; and N840,000 per annum — equivalent to N70,000 per month — for Readers.
“This intervention is not cosmetic. It is structural, practical, and transformative,” Alausa stated.
He noted that with the total support, direction, and guidance of President Tinubu, the government confronted what many had described as an intractable problem and has been resolved decisively, now and into the future.
He noted that the occasion represents far more than the unveiling of a document but symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence, and a decisive turning point in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The Minister who lamented that for decades, unresolved remuneration concerns, welfare gaps, and recurring industrial disputes disrupted academic calendars, undermined staff morale, and threatened the future of our young people, said the new agreement was a clear demonstration of the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to quality, accessible, and uninterrupted academic calendars for all Nigerian students in the tertiary institutions.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmed, said the unveiling of the FGN–ASUU Agreement is not merely the conclusion of a negotiation process, saying it is the renewal of a covenant, a covenant between Government and the academic community, and ultimately between the State and the Nigerian child.
“That is why this agreement carries a deeper significance. It represents a shared resolve to break with the past, to replace confrontation with collaboration, and to anchor engagement on trust rather than suspicion,” she said.
ASUU President, in his remark, commended the Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa and his team in the Ministry as well as Ahmed Yayale’s negotiation team for their commitment to the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
He noted that the current administration of President Tinubu inaugurated Yayale Ahmed’s Renegotiation Committee in October 2024, disclosing that an agreement was reached about 14 months after the inauguration.
Piwuna said the agreement focuses on conditions of service, funding, university autonomy and academic freedom, and other systemic reforms to reverse decay, curb brain drain, and reposition universities for national development.
He, however, warned the Federal Government, particularly the Minister of Education, against reneging on the implementation of the agreement reached, saying the government should not allow ASUU to issue a strike notice before any component of the agreement is implemented.
Piwuna urged the management of the universities to ensure prudent utilisation of resources attracted through the prolonged struggle.
He particularly accused the Vice-Chancellors of mismanaging public resources allocated to the universities under their watch, saying this must stop and that the Union would henceforth hold the chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors accountable.
“Across our universities, there are repeated documented instances where vice chancellors (VCs) have been accused of mismanaging public resources, ranging from alleged corruption and contract irregularities to financial recklessness.
“These cases are not isolated anecdotes but mirror deeper governance weaknesses in the sector, where autonomy, accountability, and administrative culture intersect with personal conduct and institutional oversight.
“Our universities are now run by consultants! It has become a clean way of ‘cleansing’ funds fought for by our Union. The federal ministry is not innocent of the ‘Consultancy Syndrome’ in government cycles.
“Unfortunately, many councils are themselves politicised and compromised, making them ineffective watchdogs. The councils need to be seen performing their responsibility as watchdogs,” he stated.
Source: TRIBUNE
