FG, ASUU to Sign New Agreement on January 14

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Wednesday, January 14, sign a new agreement aimed at stabilising industrial relations and improving conditions across Nigeria’s public university system.

An official circular from the Federal Ministry of Education, issued through the University Education Department and addressed to Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities, confirmed the development. The document, obtained by LEADERSHIP, invited key university officials to the signing ceremony scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in Abuja.

The agreement is expected to contain major provisions, including a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff and enhanced pension benefits. Under the revised pension framework, professors are to retire at the age of 70 with pensions equivalent to their full annual salaries, addressing one of ASUU’s long-standing demands.

The deal also outlines a restructured funding model for universities, with specific allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff development, in a bid to strengthen teaching, learning and innovation.

Dated January 5, 2026, the circular described the signing as a major milestone in the engagement between the Federal Government and ASUU, reflecting a renewed commitment to industrial peace and sustainable growth in the tertiary education sector.

According to the Ministry, the agreement aligns with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises reforms, stability and long-term development in critical sectors, including education.

“I am directed to invite you to the official ceremony for the signing of the Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),” the invitation stated, noting that attendance by invited officials is mandatory.

The forthcoming signing follows the conclusion of negotiations on the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement in December 2025, ending more than 16 years of protracted talks. The renegotiated deal was finalised on December 23, 2025, and is expected to take effect from January 1, 2026, with a review slated for three years.

As part of the reforms, the agreement also proposes the establishment of a National Research Council to support academic research, with funding pegged at a minimum of one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).