President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved enhanced remuneration for professors and senior academic staff (readers) as part of the recently negotiated agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FG) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) aimed at ending recurrent industrial action in the nation’s public universities. 🇳🇬
Under the new pact, which ASUU welcomed as a major breakthrough in federal‑university relations, the additional pay approvals are designed to bolster academic staff welfare, align lecturer compensation with broader national wage reforms, and improve industrial harmony within the tertiary education sector.
Officials said the monetary adjustments take effect immediately, and will supplement existing salary structures for senior university faculty notably professors and readers whose compensation had been a recurring point of contention in previous negotiations between ASUU and government negotiators.
The approval is part of a broader 2026 reform framework that also touches on improved funding mechanisms for universities, clearer implementation timelines for past agreements, and commitments to address systemic challenges that have historically triggered lengthy strikes. ASUU leaders described the pay enhancement as an important step toward stability and productivity, signalling hope for fewer disruptions in academic calendars and improved morale among lecturers.
Education analysts and student groups welcomed the development but stressed that implementation, transparency and accountability mechanisms will be key to sustaining peace and ensuring that additional pay translates into improved teaching, research output and overall educational quality.
