The new FG/ASUU pact must not fail

After more than two and a half decades of intermittent disruption to university academic calendars, which several times resulted in repeated negotiations of an agreement reached with the federal government in 2009, stakeholders in the Nigerian public university system are set to heave a sigh of relief from the burden of strikes and protests embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); conceivably suggesting the return of mutual industrial harmony to Nigeria’s ivory towers.

It would be recalled that most part of the past 27 years was characterised by a series of ASUU strikes; some of them warning and others prolonged. Although ASUU did not engage in any major industrial action from 2023 to date except for the strike notices issued to threaten government to fulfil its part of the agreement, it went on strike 16 times between 2009 and 2023; shutting down academic activities in Nigerian public universities. The longest of ASUU strikes were witnessed in 2003, 2020, and 2022 when members of the union remained on strike for six months, nine months, and eight months, respectively. ASUU has repeatedly maintained that its incessant strikes have been a provoked response to the government’s perennial refusal to honour agreements signed with the union.

As an offshoot of the Nigerian Association of University Teachers (NAUT) founded in 1965 when Nigeria had only five universities, the ASUU was formed in 1978 to cater for the interests of all academic staff in federal and state universities in Nigeria.

In a recent move to stabilise Nigeria’s tertiary education system, the federal government announced a 40 per cent pay rise for university lecturers, alongside an additional N1.7 million annual allowance for professors. This followed the signing of a new agreement with the ASUU. The agreement, which was unveiled and visibly celebrated in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, introduces a comprehensive review of academic staff pay and allowances. The new earnings had been approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) with an effective date of January 1, 2026.

Affirming government commitment to the new pact with ASUU, Alausa said, “Mr. President ensured that we would not sign any agreement with ASUU we wouldn’t be able to honour. As of today, we have the funding to support the 40 per cent salary increase that we’ve given to all lecturers in all tertiary institutions, with nine academic allowances, and there’s even a professorial cadre allowance for professors alone.”

Under the revised framework, lecturers’ remuneration will be structured around the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS) and a newly Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), through which the bulk of the 40 per cent increase would be implemented exclusively for university academic staff. The CATA is designed to cover essential professional expenses, including journal publications, conference participation, internet access, learned society memberships, and book allowances.

Dr. Alausa further explained that provisions in the latest agreement are critical to effective teaching, research output, and international academic engagement. The agreement, he noted, also introduces a major overhaul of Earned Academic Allowances, with the nine categories now clearly defined, transparently earned, and strictly linked to specific duties performed. These include enhanced allowances for postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, moderation, examination responsibilities, and leadership roles within the university system.

Another significant feature of the agreement is the introduction of a dedicated Professorial Cadre Allowance, approved for the first time by the federal government, strictly for full-time professors and readers; specifically in recognition of their expanded scholarly, administrative, and research responsibilities. Under this allowance, intended to support research coordination, academic documentation, correspondence, and administrative efficiency, professors will receive N1.74 million per annum, which amounts to N140,000 monthly.

After deductions in lieu of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax, contributory pension of eight per cent of salary, National Housing Fund (NHF), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and other statutory deductions have been made, less than half of the consolidated salary would be available for the lecturers to take home. In the revised salary structure with a 40 per cent increase, for instance, a professor on the salary scale of CONUASS 7, step 10, which is the highest attainable career bar, shall have a net take-home salary of between N700,000 and N720,000 per month. This is equivalent to $465–$480 per month, which still falls below $1,000 per month.

Speaking on the offer that moved ASUU closer to accepting terms it had previously described as inadequate, ASUU president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, described the newly signed agreement as a significant step towards rescuing Nigeria’s ailing university system. Piwuna lamented why it took government this long to reach this pact that ought to have been concluded many years ago.

Although part of the agreement may have fallen short of the general expectations of ASUU, Daily Trust calls on the university lecturers to justify the 40 per cent pay rise and focus more effectively on teaching, mentorship, knowledge innovation, and production. On its part, the federal government is urged to ensure that the new agreement is not exposed to the same fate suffered by the 2009 agreement. The 2026 pact with ASUU must not fail.

The nation, especially students, has suffered for a long time following disruptions in academic activities during strikes by university lecturers over the years. It is time to move ahead.

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