Nigeria’s Government, ASUU Sign Landmark Agreement to Secure Future for Nigerian Universities
Oru Leonard
The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signed a historic agreement, promising to revolutionize the country’s tertiary education system.
The agreement, unveiled in Lagos, includes a 40% salary increase for academic staff, to enhance morale, improve quality of service delivery and global competitiveness of Nigerian Tertiary Educational institutions, while
reversing Brain Drain.
According to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the agreement is a clear, deliberate, and unprecedented
demonstration of the commitment of His Excellency, President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to quality, accessible, and uninterrupted academic
calendars for all Nigerian students in our tertiary institutions.
For the first time in the history of our country, a sitting
President took full ownership of this long-standing challenge confronting our tertiary education system and accorded it the leadership attention it truly deserved”,
Tunji noted.
Others features of the agreement include:
The Consolidated Academic Tools Allowances (CATA); cover journal
publications, conference participation, internet access, learned
society membership, and book allowances, which are critical tools
required for effective teaching, research, and global academic
competitiveness.
Earned Academic Allowances
These allowances, NINE (9) in number, are now clearly structured,
transparently earned, and strictly tied to duties performed, thereby
promoting productivity, accountability, and fairness.
This group of allowances also consists of enhanced provisions for
postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, moderation,
examination responsibilities, and leadership roles within the tertiary
education system.
Professorial Cadre Allowance
The minister emphasized that a defining feature of this directly responds to the daily operational realities of our senior academics.
“For the first time, the Federal Government has approved a new
Professorial Cadre Allowance. This allowance applies to senior
academics at the level of full-time Professors and Readers in
our tertiary institutions. This
allowance applies strictly to full-time, and not part-time, Professors
and Readers.
“This approval recognizes the significant workload, administrative,
scholarly, and research responsibilities borne by academics at these
levels by virtue of their positions”, Dr Tunji explained.
The allowance is structured as
follows:
• N1,740,000 per annum – equivalent to #140,000 per month – for
Professors; and
• N840,000 per annum – equivalent to #70,000 per month – for
Readers.
The allowance is specifically designed to support research coordination, academic documentation, correspondence, and
administrative efficiency-thereby enabling our scholars to focus more effectively on teaching, innovation, mentorship, and global knowledge production.
“This intervention is not cosmetic. It is structural, practical, and
transformative”, the minister added
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has at last taken bold steps to address long-standing issues, prioritizing education and industrial harmony
