FG-ASUU New Agreement: Anxiety as University Lecturers Await January Salary Rollout
- ASUU and the Federal Government signed a new agreement on January 14, 2026, replacing a 17-year-old pact
- The deal includes a 40% salary increase, improved funding, better infrastructure, and pension enhancement
- However, lecturers remain uncertain as January salaries have yet to be paid, raising concerns over the implementation
Legit.ng Journalist Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award winner, with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Uncertainty is growing across Nigeria’s public universities as lecturers wait to see whether the Federal Government will begin implementing its newly signed agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), starting with January salaries as promised.
The anxiety follows the signing of a new agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government on January 14, 2026, effectively replacing the contentious 17-year-old deal that had fuelled repeated industrial disputes in the university system.
Source: Twitter
At the signing ceremony held in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, assured stakeholders that implementation would commence immediately, beginning with the payment of lecturers’ January salaries.
What the new agreement contains
The agreement outlines several measures aimed at stabilising the nation’s tertiary education sector and preventing future strikes.
Key provisions include a 40 per cent salary increase for university lecturers, enhanced funding for public universities, improved infrastructure, a more structured Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) system, and a 100 per cent pension increase for retired professors.
The document also provides for a comprehensive review every three years to ensure that its terms remain relevant and sustainable.
Lecturers express anxiety, mixed reactions
Despite the assurances, many lecturers say they remain unsure whether the Federal Government will fully honour the agreement, especially as January salaries are yet to be paid in some institutions, as reported by the Nigerian Tribune.
While some lecturers describe the 40 per cent increment as inadequate after nearly two decades without a formal review, others argue that the deal is preferable to prolonged stagnation.
Professor Adelaja Odukoya, former ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), told Nigerian Tribune that members are reserving judgment until their January salaries are received.
According to him, salary payments for lecturers are often delayed until the second or third week of the new month, adding to the current uncertainty.
“We are yet to receive our January salaries, and until that happens, it is difficult to conclude whether the government is truly committed to the agreement,” he said, stressing that lecturers frown at salary delays.
ASUU leaders praised for efforts
In a similar reaction, Professor Olusiji Sowande, immediate past National Treasurer of ASUU and a lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), said union members are generally satisfied with the efforts of their leaders.
He explained that the agreement was the result of collective input from both current and former ASUU leaders, noting that while a better deal would have been ideal, the outcome reflects the country’s current economic realities.
“Our leaders consulted widely and even sought approval from Congress before signing. Without that approval, they would not have gone ahead,” Sowande said.
Source: Twitter
He also noted that lecturers had benefited over the years from previous wage adjustments, including the 70 per cent minimum wage increase and a 30 to 35 per cent wage award, making the new 40 per cent increment a further gain.
All eyes on January salaries
Sowande added that the three-year review window provides room for improvement if the government remains sincere in implementing the agreement.
“For now, we are waiting and hoping to receive bank alerts for January salaries and to see the government take concrete steps on other aspects of the agreement,” he said.
As lecturers continue to wait, the coming days are expected to determine whether the latest FG–ASUU agreement will restore confidence in the university system or deepen existing concerns.
FG introduces fresh allowances for university professors
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) signed a new agreement that introduced a professorial cadre allowance for professors and readers.
The 2025 agreement, reached on December 23, replaced the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement and ended a 16-year dispute between the government and academics.
Professors are now to receive N1.7 million annually as allowances to support research coordination, academic documentation, correspondence, and administrative efficiency.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
