The Federal Government has begun implementing key welfare provisions of its renegotiated agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), including salary-related allowances for academic staff.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the statement, the move reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to agreements reached with stakeholders in the education sector and to sustaining industrial harmony in public universities.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced that the government had commenced the 40 per cent increase in the Consolidated Academic Allowance for ASUU members, with effect from January 1, 2026, under the ASUU 40% pay deal.
The ministry confirmed that some federal universities have already begun reflecting the approved increase in salary payments, while steps are being taken to ensure uniform implementation across all institutions.
It added that all federal universities have been formally notified to integrate the increment into their payroll systems so that eligible academic staff can benefit accordingly.
“The Federal Government has fulfilled its obligation to implement the 40 per cent increase in the Consolidated Academic Allowance for ASUU members, in line with the agreement reached with the union,” the statement said.
“To ensure uniform implementation nationwide, federal universities are being directed to fully cascade the approved increment across their institutions and integrate it into their payroll structures.”
Alausa also directed vice chancellors to ensure strict compliance with the framework for implementing the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, stressing the need for prudent financial management.
He further clarified that the payment had already been captured and circularised by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and included in the 2026 budget process.
The minister urged university managements to facilitate prompt payment of the allowance in line with NSIWC guidelines, noting that timely implementation of the Consolidated Academic Allowance and the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance would strengthen staff morale and improve teaching, research and learning outcomes.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to honouring agreements with education sector stakeholders and sustaining constructive engagement to improve the quality of higher education nationwide.
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The implementation follows the renegotiated agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU after a long review process of the 2009 pact. A major provision of the agreement is the upward review of lecturers’ remuneration by 40 per cent under the ASUU 40% pay deal, effective from January 1, 2026.
Under the new structure, salaries will comprise the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary and a Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance designed to support research, publications, conference participation, internet access and book procurement, with the aim of boosting productivity and curbing brain drain.
The agreement also restructures nine earned academic allowances and introduces a new Professorial Cadre Allowance for senior academics. Full-time professors will receive ₦1.74 million annually, while readers will earn ₦840,000 per annum, a measure described as transformative for the academic profession.