The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed optimism that the Federal Government will honour the new agreement reached after years of stalled negotiations.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, told PREMIUM TIMES that the union will meet Education Minister Tunji Alausa in early January to secure firm commitments on implementation.
Piwuna said past administrations repeatedly failed to honour MoUs and MoAs dating back to 2009, but the union expects this government to show greater fidelity.
The newly signed agreement takes effect in January 2026 and includes a 40 per cent salary increase for academics, creation of a National Research Council funded with at least one per cent of GDP, and pension reforms enabling professors to retire on an annual salary equivalent.
The deal also promises stronger university autonomy, improved funding for research, laboratories, libraries, equipment and staff development. It represents the conclusion of a prolonged renegotiation process that saw multiple committees formed and dissolved between 2017 and 2024.
After ASUU’s two-week warning strike in October, the government set up the final harmonisation committee led by former ABU Pro-Chancellor Yayale Ahmed. The committee concluded negotiations in December, paving the way for what ASUU describes as the first meaningful breakthrough in over a decade.
