The federal government is expected to sign a formal agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) after weeks of negotiations.
The development follows the government’s proposed 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff last month, which the union accepted.
A circular from the Ministry of Education invited Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities to attend the signing ceremony slated for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Conference Hall in Abuja.
Dated January 5, 2026, and referenced FME/IS/UNI/ASUU/C.11/Vol.V/82, the circular was issued by the Director of University Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
It was headed ‘Invitation to the Ceremony for the Signing of Agreement Between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.’
The document, sighted on Saturday and confirmed by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, stressed the significance of the event.
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 was described as mandatory for invited university officials, underscoring the importance placed on the agreement and its implementation.
Last month, the union accepted the Federal Government’s proposed 40 per cent pay rise for university lecturers — a breakthrough in the dispute stemming from the unresolved 2009 FG–ASUU Agreement.
The new deal takes effect on January 1, 2026, and will be reviewed after three years.
It includes pensions for professors equal to their final annual salary upon retirement at age 70, and establishes a National Research Council to support research with at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
Other features of the pact provide for improved funding for laboratories, libraries, equipment and staff development, enhanced autonomy for universities, and the election of academic leaders, limiting eligibility for positions such as dean and provost to professors.
The agreement also assures that no staff member will be punished for involvement in past strikes.