3 KEY POINTS:
- Federal Government says new ASUU agreement aims to boost university autonomy and system stability.
- Pact includes 40% salary increase, improved research funding, and better severance benefits.
- Student loan scheme highlighted as key to expanding access to higher education.
MAIN STORY
The Federal Government says the 2025 agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is designed to strengthen university autonomy safeguards and ensure long-term stability in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dasuki Arabi, made this known during a working visit to Yakubu Gowon University in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
According to him, the agreement, which will take effect from January 2026, provides a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff, enhanced research funding, and improved severance entitlements.
He noted that successive administrations have remained committed to addressing structural challenges in the sector, including funding gaps and governance issues.
THE ISSUES
Arabi stressed that university autonomy must be balanced with accountability, explaining that while institutions should manage academic and administrative affairs independently, they must operate within established governance frameworks.
He also pointed to the government-approved payroll system as a tool to improve transparency and verify personnel records across federal universities.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
The BPSR chief highlighted the role of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in boosting university infrastructure and funding support.
He described the federal government’s Student Loan Scheme as a critical intervention to remove financial barriers for indigent students.
According to him, the scheme is structured to ensure that no qualified student is denied access to higher education while promoting sustainability in the sector.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Hakeem Fawehinmi, expressed readiness to partner with the BPSR, identifying capacity development, staff competency enhancement, and postgraduate training as key areas for collaboration.
WHAT’S NEXT
Implementation of the agreement is expected to begin in January 2026, alongside continued reforms aimed at improving governance, funding, and transparency within federal universities.
Stakeholders also anticipate further engagement between government agencies and institutions to strengthen capacity-building initiatives.
BOTTOM LINE
The Federal Government says the 2025 ASUU agreement marks a major step toward stabilising Nigeria’s university system by improving staff welfare, strengthening institutional autonomy, and expanding access to higher education.
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