The Federal Government has begun implementing a renegotiated agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which provides for a minimum 40% increase in salaries and emoluments for lecturers.
The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) confirmed that the new pay structure will take effect from January 1, 2026.
On Wednesday in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, signed the new template alongside ASUU officials led by Prof. Chris Piwuna.
Under the deal, academic remuneration will now include the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS) and a strengthened Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), designed to support journal publications, conference participation, internet access, professional memberships, and book development.
The agreement restructures nine earned academic allowances, now clearly defined and tied to specific duties such as postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical responsibilities, examinations, and leadership roles.
In addition, the government approved a Professorial Cadre Allowance for full-time professors and readers.
Professors will earn ₦1.74 million annually (₦140,000 monthly), while readers will receive ₦840,000 annually (₦70,000 monthly).
Alausa explained that the allowances are meant to boost research coordination, documentation, and administrative efficiency, enabling senior academics to focus more on teaching, mentorship, and innovation.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for approving the pay rise, saying it would help end frequent strikes and restore confidence in Nigeria’s university system.
“This is more than the unveiling of a document. It symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence, and a decisive turning point in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary education system,” Alausa said.
ASUU’s Reaction
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, described the agreement as the outcome of a long struggle.
“The 2009 agreement was due for renegotiation in 2012, but it dragged on for this long due to poverty of sincerity in government. What we are unveiling today is the outcome of a prolonged struggle that began in 2017,” he said.
Piwuna recalled failed renegotiations led by Wale Babalakin (2017), Munzali Jibrin (2021), and Nimi Briggs (2022), before progress was achieved under the Yayale Ahmed-led committee inaugurated in October 2024.
He commended President Tinubu, Alausa, and Yayale Ahmed for their commitment, but raised concerns about government interference in university autonomy.
“University autonomy is universally recognised as the cornerstone of a functional higher education system, but in Nigeria its implementation remains weak,” he warned.
Piwuna welcomed the inclusion of research funding, noting that the agreement provides for a National Research Council Bill proposing at least 1% of GDP for research and development. “Research funding is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” he said.
Other Unions Demand Inclusion
Barely hours after the deal was signed, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) called on the government to extend similar benefits to them.
In a joint statement, NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim congratulated ASUU but warned that excluding other unions could disrupt industrial peace.
“Any further delay after the signing of today’s agreement with our sister union would be tantamount to a clear invitation to chaos, and the distortion of industrial peace which we have continued to maintain despite government’s continued insensitivity,” the statement read.
The unions urged the Federal Government to conclude their own renegotiation swiftly, stressing that “a stitch in time saves nine.”
With this landmark agreement, hopes are high that Nigeria’s universities may finally see stability after decades of strikes. But will the government extend the same olive branch to SSANU and NASU to prevent fresh unrest? Share your views on the new deal on the comments section.
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