- ASUU and FG finally resolve the long-running 2009 agreement renegotiation.
- 40% salary increase approved for university academic staff.
- New pension structure allows professors retire at 70 on full salary.
- Agreement takes effect January 1, 2026, with a three-year review timeline.
After 16 years of stalled negotiations and repeated disputes, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have finally reached a landmark agreement, ending one of Nigeria’s longest-running education crises tied to the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement.
The breakthrough was achieved on Wednesday following intensive negotiations between representatives of ASUU and the Federal Government, signalling a new phase for Nigeria’s public university system. The agreement is scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, with a formal review planned after three years.
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Confirming the development, Sunday Oloruntola, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Lagos, described the deal as a major relief after years of stalemate, while urging caution over implementation.
“For peace to reign, sacrifices were made. However, full and prompt implementation is critical to sustaining this progress,” Oloruntola said.
Key provisions of the agreement include a 40 percent salary increase for academic staff and significantly improved pension benefits. Under the new arrangement, professors will retire at 70 years with pensions equivalent to their full annual salaries, a long-standing demand by ASUU.
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The deal also introduces a new funding model for universities, with dedicated allocations for research, laboratories, libraries, equipment, and staff development. It further proposes the establishment of a National Research Council, to be funded with at least 1 percent of Nigeria’s GDP to support academic research nationwide.
In addition, the agreement strengthens university autonomy and academic freedom, providing for elected academic leadership positions such as deans and provosts, strictly reserved for professors. It also guarantees that no ASUU member will be victimised for participating in the prolonged industrial struggle.
Oloruntola noted that the agreement addresses critical issues of salary, pension, funding, governance, and autonomy, which have hindered progress in public universities for years.
“The federal government must be sincere and timely. We expect full implementation to avoid repeating past failures,” he stressed.
The resolution is being widely viewed as a turning point for Nigeria’s education sector, which has suffered repeated disruptions from ASUU-FG disputes, often leaving students stranded for months.
