The Federal Government is set to formally sign a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) following the approval of a 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers in federal universities.
The agreement, expected to be signed in Abuja, is the outcome of prolonged negotiations aimed at resolving lingering disputes arising from the renegotiation of the 2009 FG–ASUU agreement. Officials said the deal is designed to ensure industrial harmony and stability in the nation’s public university system.
Under the proposed agreement, academic staff will receive a 40 per cent pay rise, alongside improved conditions of service, including enhanced pension benefits. The pact also contains provisions on funding for research, laboratories, libraries, and capacity development in federal universities.
Sources within the education sector disclosed that the agreement is expected to take effect from January 2026, with a review mechanism built in to periodically assess its implementation. The Federal Ministry of Education has invited key stakeholders, including vice-chancellors of federal universities, to witness the signing ceremony.
Stakeholders believe the agreement will help avert frequent industrial actions and restore confidence in Nigeria’s public university system, which has suffered repeated disruptions due to strikes over unmet agreements and welfare concerns.
Both government and ASUU leaders have expressed optimism that the new pact will mark a turning point in labour relations within the tertiary education sector and improve the quality of teaching, learning, and research nationwide.
