The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is set to formally sign an agreement with the federal government on Wednesday, January 14, approving a 40 percent salary increase for its members.
The Federal Ministry of Education made this known in a circular inviting all vice-chancellors and registrars of federal universities to attend the signing ceremony.
According to the document, with reference number FME/IS/UNI/ASUU/C.11/Vol.V/82 and dated January 5, 2026, signed by Rakiya Ilyasu, the director of university education, on behalf of the minister of education, the ceremony is billed to hold on Wednesday, January 14, at 11:00 a.m., at the Conference Hall of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Abuja.
Read also: ASUU, FG ends 16-year renegotiation impasse, as new agreement takes effect January 1, 2026
The agreement-signing with the ministry 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 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,” it stated.
BusinessDay had earlier reported that the 2009 FG–ASUU agreement crisis which had plagued Nigeria’s public university system for 16 years was being resolved as the union had accepted the federal government’s proposed 40 percent pay increase for academic staff.
The Chris Piwuna-led ASUU announced it had reached a fresh agreement with the federal government on December 23, stating that the development brings to an end the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement.
Read also: Strike: FG agrees with ASUU on university autonomy, funding, salary
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 one percent 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,” ASUU stated.
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.
