FG, ASUU to finalise landmark agreement after 16 years

The Federal Government will on January 14 formalise a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), marking the end of weeks of talks aimed at easing long-standing tensions in the university system.

The impending signing is widely seen as a follow-up to the government’s proposal of a 40 per cent pay rise for academic staff, which the union accepted late last year.

A directive from the Federal Ministry of Education has invited Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities to attend the signing ceremony scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Conference Hall in Abuja.

The document, dated January 5, 2026, and signed by the Director of University Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, was issued on behalf of the Minister of Education. It described the event as a significant step towards stabilising industrial relations within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

Ministry officials confirmed the authenticity of the circular on Saturday, noting that the agreement aligns with the Federal Government’s education reform agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope programme.

According to the ministry, attendance by invited university administrators is compulsory, underscoring the importance attached to the accord and its execution.

The agreement builds on recent breakthroughs in negotiations that addressed issues arising from the unresolved 2009 Federal Government–ASUU pact, which had fuelled repeated industrial disputes for over a decade.

Under the new arrangement, the revised salary structure will take effect from January 1, 2026, and will be subject to review after three years. Professors are also expected to retire with pensions equivalent to their final annual salaries at the age of 70.

The deal further provides for the creation of a National Research Council, which will receive funding equivalent to at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product to support research and innovation.

Additional provisions include enhanced funding for university libraries, laboratories and equipment, expanded staff development programmes, greater institutional autonomy and reforms in academic leadership selection. Only professors will be eligible to serve as deans and provosts, while participants in previous strike actions are guaranteed protection from victimisation