The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government have finalised a new agreement, ending prolonged renegotiations of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement. The development was announced on December 24, 2025, with the agreement set to take effect from January 1, 2026 and reviewed after three years. “After years of delays, negotiations, and struggles, ASUU has officially reached a new agreement…,” the union said.
Under the new deal, academic staff in Nigerian public universities will receive a 40 per cent salary increase, and pension benefits have been enhanced. Professors retiring at age 70 will earn a pension equivalent to their annual salary. The agreement also introduces a revised university funding model with dedicated allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff development.
The package includes the proposed creation of a National Research Council to fund research with at least one per cent of Nigeria’s GDP. It also provides for stronger university autonomy and academic freedom, and mandates that elections for academic leaders like Deans and Provosts be restricted to professors. The deal ensures no one will be victimised for participating in past industrial actions.