The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commended the federal government and members of the renegotiation committee involved in the signing of the 2025 ASUU–FG agreement, while expressing concerns over its eventual implementation.
The new agreement, which replaces the 2009 pact, was signed on 23 December and formally unveiled on Wednesday.
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Speaking at the unveiling and signing ceremony, ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, a professor, praised the government’s negotiation team, led by the Pro-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Yayale Ahmed, for steering the process to completion.
Mr Piwuna, however, noted that despite the agreement, the union remains cautious giving past experiences with government implementation.
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Pessimism exists
At the end of a 30-minute-long speech, including a tribute to late union members who didn’t live to see the end of the renegotiation, Mr Piwuna said a sense of ‘pessimism’ still exists.
He said the union is optimistic about the implementation of the agreement in totality, “but there still exists that pessimistic side, looking at our history with the government and the poverty of sincerity.”
He expressed hope that the union would not be forced to “issue a strike threat” for the full implementation of the 2025 ASUU-FGN renegotiated agreement.
ASUU’s grouse with the government on the 2009 agreement was mostly about the non-implementation of components of the agreement, failure to re-negotiate it when it was due in 2012, and failure to implement subsequent Memorandums of Action signed with the government between 2017 and 2023.
Within the period, ASUU interfaced with five renegotiation committees, two of whom produced a draft agreement that the government refused to sign. The dispute between the academic staff and the government also resulted in a cumulative 21 months of strike between 2017 and 2023.
New agreement
The sixth committee was inaugurated in October 2024, led by Yayale Ahmed, and completed negotiations by February 2025. The completion was followed by regularisations of some sections, meetings with ASUU and subsequent completion and signing by December.
The new agreement introduced a 40 per cent increment for academic staff as well as N1.7 million annual allowance for professors and N840,000 for readers.
It also reviewed the remuneration for earned academic allowances, including postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, moderation, examination responsibilities, and leadership roles within the tertiary education system.
Commendation for officials
Mr Piwuna lauded the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, for his steadfast support and encouragement throughout the renegotiation process.
He said the current administration completed the renegotiation in 14 months, after a 14-year deadlock with the previous government.
READ ALSO: ASUU-FG agreement introduces new allowances for professors, readers
Speaking to Mr Alausa, the ASUU president said: “We used harsh words sometimes to describe the journey to today. I have nothing but respect for you and your team, sir. Tell the Hon Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, the permanent secretary, Abel Enitan and all your staff, that we are grateful. The NUC Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu, and his team for hosting us and giving us all the secretarial support we needed, thank you.”
“I must also commend our trustees, who, despite their age, continue to allow us share in their wisdom and experiences, ASUU Principal Officers, the renegotiation team, who have given long hours calculating and re-calculating figures and making tables. We reserve the best for our entire members for their resilience during the period of the struggle for the renegotiation,” he said.
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