The Federal Government has reached an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which will see a 40% increase in the salaries of lecturers across the country.
ASUU announced that the renegotiated deal was reached on December 23, 2025, bringing an end to an eight-year negotiation process that began in 2017 after earlier efforts to review the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement failed.
Those delays contributed to several strikes over the years. The circular dated December 24, 2025, the Union said the new agreement is designed to revitalize universities across the country and address issues such as poor funding, declining autonomy, and the loss of academic talent to other countries.
The new agreement concludes renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement. Key highlights of the agreement include:
-40% salary increase for academic staff.
-Improved pensions benefits: Professors to earn pension equivalent to their annual salary at retirement (age 70)
-Better university funding model with dedicated allocations for research, libraries, labs, equipment, and staff development.
-Proposed National Research Council (NRC) to found research with at least 1% of Nigeria’s GDP.
-Stronger university autonomy and academy freedom.
-Elected academic leadership (Deans/Provosts), with only Professors eligible.
-Agreement takes effect from January 1, 2026, and will be reviewed after 3 years.
-No victimization. of anyone involved in struggle during the course of drafting the new agreement.
ASUU also called on the government to implement without delay and extend negotiations to other University Unions to ensure stability in the system.
-9News Nigeria.
