By Chimdiogo Amuh 

The Federal Government is scheduled to formally sign an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, following weeks of negotiations aimed at resolving longstanding industrial disputes in the university system.

The planned signing comes after ASUU accepted the Federal Government’s proposed 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff last month.

A circular issued by the Ministry of Education invited Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities to attend the signing ceremony, which will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Conference Hall in Abuja.

The circular, dated January 5, 2026, with reference number FME/IS/UNI/ASUU/C.11/Vol.V/82, was signed by the Director of University Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, on behalf of the Minister of Education. The invitation was confirmed by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.

Describing the agreement as a significant milestone, the Ministry noted that it would promote industrial harmony and enhance teaching and learning in Nigerian universities, while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to sustainable educational development in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Attendance at the ceremony has been declared mandatory for invited university administrators, underscoring the importance of the agreement and its implementation.

The deal addresses issues arising from the 2009 Federal Government–ASUU Agreement, which had contributed to recurrent industrial unrest over the past 16 years. Under the new arrangement, the 40 per cent salary increase will take effect from January 1, 2026, and will be subject to review after three years.

Key provisions of the agreement include a pension package that allows professors to earn pensions equivalent to their final annual salary upon retirement at the age of 70, the establishment of a National Research Council to fund research with at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, and improved funding for libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff development.

The agreement also provides for greater university autonomy, the election of academic leaders—restricted to professors serving as deans and provosts—and guarantees that no academic staff member involved in past industrial actions will be victimised.