FG, ASUU Finally Resolve 16-Year Renegotiation Deadlock

After more than a decade and a half of stalled negotiations, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have recorded a major breakthrough, effectively ending the long-running renegotiation crisis surrounding the 2009 agreement.

The breakthrough was achieved on Wednesday following intense engagements between both sides and is expected to come into force on January 1, 2026, with a formal review slated after three years.

Speaking to BusinessDay, Sunday Oloruntola, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Lagos, confirmed the development, stressing the importance of restoring stability to the university system while raising concerns about effective implementation.

Findings indicate that key elements of the new agreement include a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff, alongside substantial improvements in pension benefits.

Under the revised pension arrangement, professors will retire at the age of 70 and receive pensions equivalent to their full annual salaries, addressing one of ASUU’s long-standing demands.

The agreement also outlines a restructured funding framework for universities, with specific provisions for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff development.

In addition, it proposes the establishment of a National Research Council to drive research initiatives, with funding pegged at a minimum of 1 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The deal further strengthens university autonomy and academic freedom, while providing for elected academic leadership at the level of deans and provosts—positions exclusively reserved for professors.

It also assures that no union member will be victimised for participating in the prolonged industrial struggle.

Oloruntola noted that the announcement has already been shared on ASUU platforms, describing the agreement as a significant turning point for Nigeria’s university system after years of deadlock.

He explained that, in the interest of peace, the union made certain concessions, adding that the agreement comprehensively addresses salary, pension, funding, autonomy, and governance issues that have hindered progress in public universities.

The dean emphasised that ASUU expects prompt and sincere implementation by the Federal Government to prevent a recurrence of past disappointments.

“We expect full and prompt implementation. The federal government should be sincere and timely with the implementation,” he emphasised.

Federal government and Asuu have historically been at odds, a situation that has repeatedly disrupted academic calendars, weakened the education system, and negatively impacted students across Nigeria.