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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has described the recently signed agreement between the Nigerian government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as the death of incessant strikes in Nigerian public universities.
Speaking at a ceremony to unveil the agreement on Wednesday, Mr Alausa said the new agreement ushers federal universities into a new era of stability and excellence for Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
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“Today signals the death of strikes in our institutions,” Mr Alausa declared as he unveiled the details.
He said the agreement restores confidence to the academics, predictability of academic calendars, and hope to Nigerian students.
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“History will remember today not merely as an unveiling ceremony, but as the day Nigeria chose dialogue, transparency, fiscal realism, and strong Presidential commitment as the pathway to resolving long-standing governance challenges and achieving sustained progress,” he said.
End of dispute
Mr Alausa noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu confronted the ASUU-FG disagreement, which “many had described as an intractable problem” and resolved it decisively, “now and into the future.”
“This administration did not shy away from complexity; we confronted it squarely. Through sustained engagement, fiscal realism, and mutual respect, we have laid a durable foundation for industrial harmony in our Federal Tertiary Educational Institutions,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that agreement reached by the duo on 23 December marked the end of a 16-year impasse between the government and the academics.
The over a decade old dispute has resulted in multiple industrial actions in the universities and disruption in academic calendars.
Speaking at the ceremony, ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, applauded the minister and the chairperson of the ASUU-FG renegotiation agreement, Yayale Ahmed.
He expressed optimism that the government will implement the signed agreement without the threat of a strike by the union.
Earlier, the chairperson of the renegotiation committee, Mr Ahmed, said the agreement updates and consolidates the 2009 agreement.
Mr Ahmed, the pro-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, was represented by the co-chair, Olanrewaju Tejuoso, the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Abuja.
“The agreement updates and consolidates the 2009 framework in line with current realities, improves salary and welfare provisions, introduces a revised funding and revitalisation framework, strengthens university autonomy and governance and establishes clearer mechanisms for implementation, monitoring and periodic review,” he said.
Details of agreement
Unveiling details of the agreement reached, Mr Alausa said the government has, for the first time, introduced new allowances for professors and readers.
Under the new professorial cadre allowance, professors are to receive N1.7 million annually and N840,000 annually for academics who are Readers.
The minister said the allowance is designed to support research coordination, academic documentation, correspondence, and administrative efficiency.
He said the allowance recognises the significant workload, administrative, scholarly, and research responsibilities borne by academics at these levels by virtue of their positions.
“This allowance applies to senior academics at the level of full-time professors and readers in our tertiary institutions, and not part-time professors and readers,” he said.
He listed other components of the agreement to include a 40 per cent increment for all academic staff.
He said the academics will now be paid using two salary structures: the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS) and the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA)
Mr Alausa said the 40 per cent review will be represented by the CATA.
“The Consolidated Academic Tools Allowances cover journal publications, conference participation, internet access, learned society membership, and book allowances, which are critical tools required for effective teaching, research, and global academic competitiveness,” he said.
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He explained that nine allowances, contained in the earned academic allowances, are now “structured, transparently earned, and strictly tied to duties performed, thereby promoting productivity, accountability, and fairness.”
He listed the allowances to include provisions for postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, moderation, examination responsibilities, and leadership roles within the tertiary education system.
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