The Federal Government has finalised arrangements to officially execute the proposed 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff, with a formal agreement to be signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), The Guardian can report.

In a circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, all Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities were invited to attend the signing ceremony between the Federal Government and ASUU.

The ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at the Conference Hall of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Abuja.

The document, with reference number FME/IS/UNI/ASUU/C.11/Vol.V/82 and dated January 5, 2026, was signed by the Director of University Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, on behalf of the Minister of Education.

According to the ministry, the agreement-signing represents a critical milestone in promoting industrial harmony within the university system, improving teaching and learning conditions, and reinforcing the Federal Government’s commitment to sustainable development in the education sector. The initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for national development.

The circular emphasised that attendance is mandatory for all invited Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities, underscoring the importance the government attaches to the agreement and its implementation.

“The event signifies a critical milestone in promoting industrial harmony, enhancing teaching and learning conditions in Nigerian universities, and reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to the sustainable development of the education sector, in furtherance of Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” the circular reads.

Last month, The Guardian reported that the 16-year industrial crisis that had plagued Nigeria’s university system following the 2009 Federal Government–ASUU Agreement was nearing resolution, as the Union had accepted the Federal Government’s proposed 40 per cent pay increase for academic staff.

ASUU announced that it formally reached a fresh agreement with the Federal Government on December 23, 2025, noting that the development brings to an end the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement.

Under the new agreement, professors are to earn a pension equivalent to their annual salary at retirement age of 70, while the proposed National Research Council (NRC) will fund research with at least 1% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The agreement, effective from January 1, 2026, will be reviewed after three years.

Other key provisions include a better university funding model with dedicated allocations for research, libraries, labs, equipment, and staff development; stronger university autonomy and academic freedom; and elected academic leadership (Deans and Provosts), with only professors eligible.

It also stipulates that no staff involved in the struggle will face victimisation.

“ASUU leadership has called on the government to implement the agreement without delay and extend negotiations to other university unions to ensure stability in the system,” the Union noted.

The 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement has remained a persistent source of tension between the Federal Government and ASUU, shaping industrial relations in Nigeria’s university system for more than a decade.

The agreement, originally intended to address critical issues in the sector, has repeatedly resurfaced as a focal point of disputes due to challenges surrounding its full implementation. (Guardian)

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