Abuja, FCT - More details have emerged after the federal government reached a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ending more than 16 years of stalled negotiations over a 2009 pact that had fuelled repeated strikes across Nigeria's public universities.
The federal government reached the agreement with ASUU under the leadership of Dr Tunji Alausa, minister of education.
The agreement was finalised on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, and will take effect from Thursday, January 1, 2026, according to government and union officials. It provides for a structured review every three years, marking a shift from ad-hoc negotiations that have characterised past engagements between both sides.
For decades, Nigerian public universities were caught in a cycle of industrial action driven by systemic neglect.
Chronic underfunding left lecture halls, laboratories and hostels in disrepair; academic staff endured stagnant wages long disconnected from inflation; infrastructure collapsed under student loads; and successive governments failed to implement the 2009 agreement provisions, leading to broken trust and serial strikes that derailed academic calendars and prolonged graduations, exacting heavy cost on students, families and the national economy.
Under the new agreement, academic staff will receive a 40% salary increase, a demand ASUU had pressed for during negotiations. The agreement also introduces pension reforms, allowing professors to retire at age 70 with pensions equivalent to their final annual salaries.
The agreement includes a revised funding framework for universities, with dedicated allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment and staff development. It also provides for the creation of a National Research Council, to be funded with at least 1% of Nigeria's gross domestic product, aimed at ensuring sustained financing for research and innovation.
ASUU President Chris Piwuna reportedly said the agreement addresses long-standing concerns over university autonomy and governance. Under the new terms, universities will exercise autonomy within existing laws, departments will elect their heads, and positions such as deans and provosts will be filled by professors.
The pact also includes assurances that academic staff will not face sanctions for participating in previous industrial actions, a provision intended to rebuild trust between the government and university workers.
To prevent a recurrence of stalled agreements, the deal strengthens implementation and oversight mechanisms. An expanded Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiation Committee, with legal backing, is expected to monitor compliance and ensure that commitments are enforced.
Officials say this is designed to address past situations in which agreements were signed but not fully executed.
The agreement is expected to stabilise Nigeria's public university system by reducing the risk of strikes and restoring predictable academic calendars. Students and parents stand to benefit from fewer disruptions, while lecturers may see improved welfare and job security.
However, analysts say effective implementation will be critical. The federal government will need to ensure the timely release of funds, while ASUU and university managements will be expected to engage constructively within the new framework.
Civil society groups and student bodies have also been urged to monitor compliance to ensure that the agreement translates into tangible improvements across Nigeria's public universities.
Legit.ng earlier reported that ASUU has warned that it would resume a nationwide strike if the federal government did not meet lecturers' demands before the expiration of its one-month ultimatum.
The union had criticised the slow pace of renegotiations and misrepresentation of its engagement with the government.
It also called on the federal government to place a moratorium on the establishment of state universities without adequate funding.