The federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are set to sign a fresh agreement on Wednesday, January 14, marking a crucial step toward strengthening industrial harmony in Nigeria’s university system.
The Federal Ministry of Education confirmed the development through an official invitation sent to all Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities via the University Education Department.
Key Provisions of the Agreement
The new agreement addresses several critical areas that have long been sources of contention between the government and the union.
Academic staff will receive a 40 per cent salary increase under the terms of the deal. The agreement also introduces significantly improved pension benefits, with professors set to retire at age 70 with pensions equal to their full annual salaries—a demand ASUU has pursued for years.
A revamped university funding model forms another major component of the agreement. The new structure includes dedicated allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff development.
The deal also proposes establishing a National Research Council to fund research activities, with a minimum allocation of 1 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Government’s Commitment to Education Reform
The ministry’s circular, dated January 5, 2025, described the signing ceremony as a significant milestone in ongoing engagement between the federal government and ASUU.
According to the invitation letter, “the event signifies a critical milestone in promoting industrial harmony, enhancing teaching and learning conditions in Nigerian universities, and reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to the sustainable development of the education sector, in furtherance of the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The agreement aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes reforms and stability in critical sectors, including education.
End of a 16-Year Stalemate
In December 2024, the federal government and ASUU concluded the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, ending a long-running industrial relations crisis after more than 16 years of stalled talks.
The agreement was reached on December 23, 2024, following intensive engagement between the parties. It is expected to take effect on January 1, 2026, with a review scheduled after three years.
The 2009 agreement was due for renegotiation in 2012, but the process stalled for over a decade, resulting in multiple strikes by academic staff that disrupted the academic calendar in Nigerian public universities.
Previous Failed Attempts
Six government-appointed committees have worked on renegotiating the agreement since 2017. The most recent committee, known as the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, was led by the Pro-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Yayale Ahmed.
The committee was established shortly after ASUU embarked on a two-week warning strike to protest the government’s failure to sign or implement previous agreements.
ASUU had accused the government of routinely constituting renegotiation committees only to fail to sign or implement the committee’s drafts.
In August 2024, Education Minister Tunji Alausa inaugurated a committee chaired by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Abel Enitan, to review the draft agreement between ASUU and the Yayale Ahmed committee, which was submitted in February.
Before Ahmed, the late Nimi Briggs, an emeritus professor, led the renegotiation committee in 2022 and produced a draft that the government never signed or implemented. Before Briggs, Munzali Jibrin headed a 2021 committee that also produced an unsigned draft. Wale Babalakin chaired the committee from 2017 to 2020 before resigning.
The signing of this fresh agreement represents hope for sustained peace and improved conditions in Nigeria’s university system after years of industrial disputes.
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