The Federal Government has moved to ease long-standing tensions in Nigeria’s university system by introducing a new professorial cadre allowance and confirming full funding for a 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers across federal tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following the signing of a landmark 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Under the new arrangement, professors will receive a monthly allowance of over ₦140,000, separate from their salaries. Alausa said the allowance forms part of a restructured welfare package designed to improve motivation and stability in the university system.
“A professor will now receive a monthly top-up of over ₦140,000, as President Tinubu has created a new category of allowance for academic staff, known as the professorial cadre allowance—an enhanced additional package,” the minister said.
He added that the agreement also clearly defines nine enhanced Earned Academic Allowances, addressing years of disputes over eligibility, payment structure and funding.
“Today, we have the funding to support the 40 per cent salary increase granted to our lecturers across all our institutions, as well as the nine enhanced Earned Academic Allowances, which are now well structured,” Alausa stated.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Government and ASUU reached what officials described as a historic agreement, ending a 16-year stalemate over the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement. The deal is expected to improve staff welfare, boost funding, and reduce disruptions caused by industrial action.
Alausa stressed that implementation had already begun, insisting that the administration was determined to avoid past failures where agreements were signed but not executed.
“Before today, we had already started implementation. The Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the President worked several hours between December 20, 29, and 30 to ensure that the circular to back up the workers’ welfare component of the agreement was released. The circular has been released,” he said.
Quoting President Bola Tinubu, the minister added: “When we were negotiating the agreement, the President said, ‘I will not give you the go-ahead to go and sign an agreement I know I will not implement.’”
He explained that funding availability was central to the negotiations. “The key question was: do I have the funding to do this? When the President was completely convinced that he had the funding, he signed off,” Alausa said.
According to the minister, the structured allowances now provide clarity for academics. “The lecturers and academics now know who the Federal Government will pay, what they are paid for, and the cost,” he added.
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