The Federal Government is set to formally sign an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) following weeks of negotiations.
The development is coming against the backdrop of the 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff proposed by the Federal Government last month and accepted by the union.
A circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Education invited Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities to witness the signing ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Conference Hall, Abuja.
The circular, dated Jan. 5, 2026, and referenced FME/IS/UNI/ASUU/C.11/Vol.V/82, was signed by the Director of University Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
It was titled “Invitation to the Ceremony for the Signing of Agreement Between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.”
The circular was sighted by Kano Times on Saturday and its authenticity was confirmed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Boriowo Folasade.
According to the circular, “This signing represents a critical milestone in promoting industrial harmony and improving teaching and learning in our universities.
“It also reaffirms the Federal Government’s commitment to the sustainable development of education in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.”
Attendance at the ceremony was declared mandatory for all invited university administrators, underscoring the importance attached to the agreement and its effective implementation.
Kano Times reports that last month, ASUU accepted the Federal Government’s proposed 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff, a move seen as a major step toward resolving the industrial crisis that has affected Nigeria’s university system for about 16 years following the 2009 Federal Government–ASUU Agreement.
The agreement is expected to take effect from Jan. 1, 2026, and will be reviewed after three years.
Under the new terms, professors will earn a pension equivalent to their final annual salary upon retirement at the age of 70.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of a National Research Council to fund research with at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
Other provisions include improved funding for libraries, laboratories, equipment and staff development, increased university autonomy, and the election of academic leaders, with only professors eligible to serve as deans and provosts.
It further guarantees that no staff member involved in previous industrial actions will be victimised.
