The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have signed a new agreement aimed at ending decades of industrial unrest and repositioning Nigeria’s public universities for stability, competitiveness and improved quality delivery.
The pact, signed and unveiled on Wednesday at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Conference Hall, Maitama, Abuja, formally replaces the controversial 2009 agreement that triggered repeated strikes and prolonged disruptions of academic calendars across federal universities.
The ceremony was attended by key stakeholders, including the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad; Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi; and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Muntari Dandutse.
Speaking at the event, ASUU President, Prof Chris Piwuna, expressed cautious optimism, saying the union hoped the Federal Government would implement the agreement without the familiar cycle of delays and industrial threats.
While acknowledging ASUU’s difficult history with successive administrations, Piwuna said the union was hopeful that the current leadership would mark a departure from the past.
“We are optimistic that the government will implement this agreement in totality, though pessimism still exists because of our history,” he said.
“It is our belief that this administration will be different and that ASUU will not need to issue strike threats before agreed terms are implemented. ASUU remains open and accessible, just as the government has promised to be.”
Describing the agreement as a watershed moment, the Minister of Education, Dr Alausa, said the pact represented renewed trust and a decisive turning point for Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
According to him, the agreement aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to quality education and an uninterrupted academic calendar in public universities.
“This is more than the presentation of a document. It symbolises restored confidence and a clear turning point in the history of our tertiary education system,” Alausa said.
“Today’s agreement demonstrates the President’s firm commitment to quality education and stable academic calendars for Nigerian students.”
On implementation, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, urged both parties to act with sincerity and transparency, stressing that the true value of any agreement lies in faithful execution.
He commended ASUU for what he described as responsible unionism, noting that sustained industrial peace would restore public confidence in the university system.
“Agreements gain true meaning not at the point of signing, but through consistent and honest implementation,” Dingyadi said.
Also speaking, Senator Dandutse described the agreement as a significant milestone for the sustainable development of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, noting that it was the product of intense dialogue and shared determination to end recurrent crises.
“This is not just about signing a document; it is about securing a promising future for our children, our academia and our national destiny,” he said.
Highlighting the major components of the agreement, Alausa disclosed that the emoluments of university academic staff had been reviewed upward by 40 per cent to boost morale, enhance service delivery and curb brain drain.
He explained that the new salary framework would combine the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure with a consolidated academic tools allowance, which accounts for the 40 per cent adjustment and is exclusive to university lecturers.
The minister also announced the introduction of a new “professorial cadre allowance” for full-time professors and academic leaders, approved by the President for the first time.
According to him, the allowance recognises the administrative, scholarly and research responsibilities of senior academics and applies strictly to full-time, not part-time, professors.
Stakeholders at the event expressed hope that the agreement would usher in lasting industrial harmony and finally free Nigeria’s universities from the cycle of strikes that have plagued the system for nearly two decades.
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