FG, ASUU Sign Historic Pay Deal, Approve 40% Salary Increase to End 17-Year University Crisis

FG, ASUU Sign Historic Pay Deal, Approve 40% Salary Increase to End 17-Year University Crisis

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signed a landmark agreement to comprehensively overhaul the remuneration and welfare of university academics, a move widely seen as a decisive effort to end nearly 17 years of industrial unrest in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

The agreement, unveiled by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, follows prolonged negotiations between both parties that began in 2009. It introduces a new salary and welfare framework approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026.

Central to the pact is a 40 per cent upward review of emoluments for academic staff in federal universities, aimed at boosting morale, improving service delivery, enhancing global competitiveness, and curbing the persistent brain drain affecting Nigerian universities.

Under the new structure, academic remuneration will be based on the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS), complemented by a newly consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA). The government clarified that a substantial portion of the 40 per cent increase will be reflected through the CATA, which is exclusive to university academics.

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The Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance will cover essential professional needs, including journal publications, conference attendance, internet access, learned society memberships, and book allowances. According to the government, these provisions are critical to effective teaching, impactful research, and international academic engagement, and will no longer be treated as discretionary benefits.

The agreement also restructures Earned Academic Allowances, with the nine categories now clearly defined, transparently earned, and directly tied to duties performed. These include allowances for postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, examination and moderation responsibilities, and leadership roles within universities. Officials said the new system promotes productivity, accountability, and fairness by linking payments to measurable academic work.

In a major first, the Federal Government approved a Professorial Cadre Allowance for senior academics. The allowance applies strictly to full-time Professors and Readers, recognising their expanded scholarly, research, and administrative responsibilities.

Under the new arrangement, Professors will earn N1.74 million annually (N140,000 monthly), while Readers will receive N840,000 per annum (N70,000 monthly). The allowance is designed to support research coordination, academic documentation, correspondence, and administrative efficiency.

Describing the agreement as “structural, practical, and transformative,” Dr Alausa said it would enable senior academics to focus more on teaching, mentorship, innovation, and global knowledge production.

Government officials expressed confidence that the deal would restore industrial harmony in federal universities by addressing long-standing welfare and pay concerns that have repeatedly disrupted academic calendars.

Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to full implementation, the minister described the pact as a decisive step towards resolving a two-decade-old crisis in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

FG, ASUU Sign Historic Pay Deal, Approve 40% Salary Increase to End 17-Year University Crisis