The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have reached and are set to formally sign a landmark agreement aimed at ending decades of unresolved disputes that have repeatedly grounded academic activities in Nigeria’s public universities.
Meanwhile, the The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described the agreement as the first major deal to end perennial strike action in the nation’s universities.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, TMSG pointed out that the agreement to be signed on Wednesday is a sustainable instrument that would set the right template for a new lease of life in the universities after years of unending strikes.
The agreement, finalised on 23 December 2025 and scheduled for formal signing on 14 January 2026, marks the successful conclusion of a renegotiation of the long-standing 2009 FG-ASUU Agreement, ending a nearly 16-year impasse that has fuelled repeated strikes and academic disruptions.
According to ASUU, the new deal will take effect from 1 January 2026 and be reviewed after three years, signalling a commitment by both parties to sustained industrial peace.
Among the central features of the new agreement:
• A 40 percent salary increase for academic staff, part of efforts to address remuneration stagnation.
• Improved pension terms, with professors required to retire at age 70 and eligible for pensions equal to a full year’s salary.
• A revamped funding model to boost resources for research, laboratories and staff development.
• Establishment of a National Research Council with funding guaranteed at a minimum of 1 percent of Nigeria’s GDP.
• Reforms to strengthen university autonomy and academic freedom, including the election of Deans and Provosts limited to professors.
• A commitment that no academic will be victimised for participating in past negotiations.
The Federal Ministry of Education has already directed relevant agencies to begin implementing key components, particularly salary adjustments and allowances, ahead of the formal signing ceremony.
While ASUU has accepted the deal, officials have urged swift implementation to ensure stability and avoid future disruptions.
The agreement brings to a close a prolonged period of tension between the government and ASUU, which in late 2025 had threatened further nationwide shutdowns and even staged a warning strike over outstanding demands.
TMSG said: “After several months of dispute over a 2009 agreement, the President Bola Tinubu administration has not only addressed the unresolved issues but has also set a template to end decades of challenges in the country’s university system.
“For us, it was not an unexpected phenomenon as the President had, shortly after assuming office, vowed that he would take steps to ensure an end to recurring strikes in a system that had become known for endless disagreements between unions and the authorities over funding and non-implementation of deals.
“So when it was announced that the federal government had finalised an agreement with ASUU and would be sealing it in the coming days, it did not come to us as a total surprise, as the Tinubu administration had, since 2023, been making moves to address challenges plaguing higher education in the country.”
“We are indeed convinced that this agreement will not only address the challenges that the 2009 agreement created for previous administrations and the current one, but will also reduce the possibility of future conflicts in the academic environment….
“It is indeed a new year gift for Nigeria and Nigerians,” the group added.
TMSG urged Nigerians to continue to trust in the capacity and sincerity of President Tinubu to deliver on his promises to reform the country.
