BREAKING: FG Begins Implementation of New ASUU Agreement, Approves 40% Allowance Increase

FG has commenced the implementation of new ASUU agreement and approved 40% allowance increase from January 2026.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Government has commenced the implementation of key welfare components of its renegotiated agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), including salary-related allowances for academic staff in federal universities.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade.

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According to the statement, the move reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to honouring agreements reached with stakeholders in the education sector and to sustaining industrial harmony across public universities.

What FG said

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced that the government has begun implementing a 40 per cent increase in the Consolidated Academic Allowance (CAA) for ASUU members, with effect from January 1, 2026.

The ministry confirmed that some federal universities have already started reflecting the approved increase in their salary payments. It added that measures are underway to ensure uniform implementation nationwide, with all federal universities formally notified to integrate the increment into their payroll systems.

“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, has announced that the Federal Government has fulfilled its obligation to implement the 40 per cent increase in the Consolidated Academic Allowance for ASUU members, with effect from 1st January 2026, in line with the agreement reached with the union,” the statement said.

It further noted that the increment has been captured and circularised by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and included in the 2026 budget as part of a statutory process.

Directives to universities

Dr Alausa also directed vice chancellors to ensure strict compliance with the approved framework for implementing the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA). He urged university managements to exercise prudent financial management and make judicious use of available resources to guarantee the successful rollout of the allowance.

The minister called on institutions to take proactive steps to facilitate prompt payment in line with NSIWC guidelines, stressing that timely implementation would boost staff morale and strengthen teaching, research and learning outcomes in Nigerian universities.

Background to the agreement

The implementation follows the unveiling of a renegotiated FG–ASUU agreement last month, aimed at resolving long-standing disputes in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

The 2025 agreement concluded a renegotiation process that began in 2017 to review the 2009 FG–ASUU pact, which was due for revision in 2012. Previous efforts by committees led by Wale Babalakin, Munzali Jibrin and Nimi Briggs failed to reach a final agreement.

The breakthrough came under the current administration, with the inauguration of the Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation committee in October 2024. An agreement was reached about 14 months later, focusing on improved conditions of service, funding, university autonomy, academic freedom and broader sector reforms.

Key provisions

A major highlight of the agreement is a 40 per cent upward review of remuneration for academic staff in federal universities, effective January 1, 2026. Under the new structure, salaries will comprise the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary and a Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance.

The tools allowance is designed to support research, journal publications, conference participation, internet access, professional memberships and book procurement, with the aim of boosting productivity and curbing brain drain.

The agreement also restructures nine earned academic allowances to promote transparency by linking payments strictly to duties performed, including postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical work, examination duties and leadership roles.

In addition, the Federal Government approved a new Professorial Cadre Allowance for senior academics. Under the provision, full-time professors will receive ₦1.74 million annually, while readers will earn ₦840,000 per year—an intervention described as a transformative measure to recognise experience and strengthen the academic profession.