By Seyi Gesinde
In an unprecedented turn for Nigeria’s public university system, the Federal Government under the competence of Dr Tunji Alausa, minister of education, has finalised a comprehensive resolution of the long-standing dispute with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, bringing to a close more than 16 years of stalled renegotiations of the 2009 federal government-ASUU agreement.
The new pact, concluded on December 23, 2025, will take effect from January 1, 2026 and is subject to systematic review every three years, underscoring a shift from episodic negotiations to long-term strategic engagement.
For decades, 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.
Alausa’s approach was to move beyond temporary fixes to address deep-rooted causes. Under his stewardship, the Federal Government agreed to concrete figures and structural reforms that meet many of ASUU’s core demands, moving beyond rhetoric to accountability and implementation frameworks.
At the heart of the new agreement is a 40 per cent salary increase for all academic staff, a figure explicitly accepted by ASUU leadership as a significant boost to income levels that have been static since 2009. Pension reforms accompany this uplift, with professors now entitled to retire at age 70 with a pension equivalent to their full annual salary, a long-standing union priority that assures post-service dignity.
On funding, the pact introduces a revamped university funding model with dedicated allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment and staff development. This is a marked departure from the prevailing budget templates that often omit critical recurrent and capital needs of universities, undermining teaching and research capacity. Crucially, the agreement provides for the establishment of a National Research Council funded with a minimum of one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, ensuring sustained financing for research activities and innovation.
ASUU president, Professor Chris Piwuna, confirmed that these provisions, along with stronger university autonomy and academic freedom, directly address the structural deficits that fuelled recurrent labour disputes. Under the new terms, universities will exercise autonomy consistent with law, departments will elect their heads, and academic leadership roles such as deans and provosts will be filled strictly by professors, reinforcing merit and academic governance. The pact also guarantees that no academic will face victimisation for participation in past industrial actions, an assurance of procedural fairness that bolsters trust between government and staff.
Beyond welfare and financing, other key reforms include improved governance structures and implementation mechanisms to prevent the recurrence of stalled agreements. The expanded Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiation Committee, backed by legal oversight, ensures that commitments are enforceable rather than aspirational, addressing past failures where signed agreements were poorly implemented.
The combined effect of these measures promises to stabilise the academic environment. Students, who have borne the brunt of repeated closures, can now look forward to uninterrupted academic calendars, predictable graduations and a return to learning environments that support quality education. Parents and families will see relief from extended accommodation costs and educational delays. For lecturers, the enhanced remuneration and pension security restore motivation and reduce incentives for brain drain.
Nevertheless, implementation is now the defining frontier. The Federal Government must ensure timely release of allocated funds and strict adherence to the terms agreed. ASUU must reciprocate with constructive engagement that eschews strikes as the default tool for redress. University managements should align internal governance with new provisions, ensuring that funds translate into tangible improvements.
Students, parents and civil society have a role in holding all parties accountable, advocating for transparency and resisting any slippage into past patterns of neglect. In reaffirming trust in public university education and aligning funding with global standards, this historic agreement, driven by Alausa’s leadership, stands as a blueprint for sustainable resolution of one of Nigeria’s most persistent structural challenges.
Gesinde is an award-winning journalist, political scientist and social commentator.
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