After sixteen years of prolonged negotiations, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government of Nigeria have formally signed a new agreement, bringing closure to talks that originated from the 2009 pact.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, said while significant progress has been made, several critical issues affecting the university system remain unresolved and require urgent attention.
The agreement follows the work of the Yayale Ahmed–led renegotiation committee, inaugurated in 2024, marking the first comprehensive and properly concluded negotiation process since the late Professor Gabriel Onosode chaired the original talks at the National Universities Commission in 2009.
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Key components of the newly signed agreement include a forty percent upward review of lecturers’ salaries, a structured Earned Academic Allowance framework, the introduction of a ₦140,000 monthly Professorial Cadre Allowance, and commitments towards a Research Funding Bill for universities.
Despite the breakthrough, ASUU says unresolved concerns persist. These include alleged encroachment on university autonomy, irregular appointment of vice-chancellors, and misappropriation of funds by some university managements.
While documents reflecting the agreement signed in 2025 were formally unveiled at the event, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, issued a caution that signing ceremonies would be meaningless if agreed terms are not implemented within stipulated timelines.
As ASUU and the Federal Government mark what they describe as a major milestone, attention is already shifting to the demands of non-teaching university staff, whose unresolved grievances may pose the next challenge for the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and his team.
(Editor: Ada Ononye)
