By Awwal Umar Kontagora The Federal Government has said its 2025 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),...
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
The Federal Government has said its 2025 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), scheduled to take effect from January 2026, is designed to strengthen university autonomy, improve staff welfare and stabilise Nigeria’s higher education system.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Mr Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, disclosed this during an official visit to the University of Abuja, recently renamed Yakubu Gowon University, in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Arabi said the agreement provides for a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff, expanded research funding and improved severance entitlements, describing the package as part of a broader reform agenda aimed at repositioning the university system.
“The 2025 FGN–ASUU agreement seeks to strengthen autonomy safeguards,” he said, noting that the framework was crafted to address longstanding structural challenges while reinforcing institutional independence.
He explained that successive administrations had implemented policies targeted at bridging funding gaps, improving governance systems and supporting institutional growth across federal universities.
According to him, federal funding support has increased over time, with interventions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other programmes financing infrastructure expansion, research development and institutional upgrades.
On access to higher education, Arabi described the Federal Government’s Students’ Loan Scheme as a major policy intervention aimed at removing financial barriers.
“The implementation of the Students’ Loan Scheme is a significant step towards expanding access to higher education,” he said.
He added that the scheme was structured to ensure that no qualified student is denied tertiary education due to financial constraints, while maintaining long-term sustainability.
While reaffirming the government’s commitment to institutional autonomy, the BPSR chief stressed that such independence must operate within clearly defined governance frameworks to promote accountability and transparency.
“A system that allows institutions to manage their academic and administrative duties within clear governance frameworks is key to promoting innovation, ensuring accountability and achieving excellence,” he said.
Arabi further noted that the government-approved payroll verification system for federal institutions was introduced to enhance transparency, eliminate irregularities and ensure accurate personnel records.
He said recent salary adjustments affecting senior lecturers and professors form part of a wider reform agenda aimed at boosting morale, productivity and overall institutional performance.
Emphasising the strategic role of universities in national development and innovation, Arabi called for sustained reforms to keep Nigerian institutions globally competitive.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, welcomed the reform engagement and expressed the university’s readiness to collaborate with the BPSR in capacity development, staff competency enhancement and postgraduate training programmes.
Observers say the renewed FG–ASUU framework, alongside governance reforms and financing initiatives, signals another attempt to consolidate stability in Nigeria’s often turbulent university system while improving teaching, research and student access nationwide.
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