The Federal Government has affirmed that the 2025 agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is aimed at strengthening autonomy safeguards and ensuring long-term stability in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dasuki Arabi, made the disclosure during a working visit to Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja) in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Tuesday. The statement was issued by the BPSR’s Head of Strategic Communication, Aliyu Umar.
Arabi explained that the agreement, effective January 2026, introduces a 40 percent pay rise, enhanced research funding, and improved severance entitlements for academic staff. “The 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement seeks to strengthen autonomy safeguards,” he said, adding that successive governments have been committed to addressing structural challenges in the sector, including funding gaps and governance concerns.
He highlighted government efforts to increase university funding through initiatives such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other federal interventions, while also pointing to the Student Loan Scheme as a key program to improve access for indigent students. “No willing and qualified student should be left behind,” Arabi said.
While emphasizing university autonomy, Arabi stressed that accountability remains essential. Institutions are expected to manage academic and administrative functions independently within defined governance frameworks. He also noted that the government-approved payroll system enhances transparency and verifies personnel records across federal universities.
Recent salary adjustments for senior lecturers and professors, Arabi added, reflect the government’s broader reform agenda to reposition the education sector for national development.
Vice-Chancellor Hakeem Fawehinmi expressed the university’s readiness to collaborate with the BPSR in implementing these reforms.