The Federal Government has begun the implementation of its latest agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), with President Bola Tinubu approving improved welfare packages, including a new monthly allowance that will see University Professors earn over N140,000 in additional pay.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday night while speaking on ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television, insisting that the agreement is both sustainable and already being implemented.
According to Alausa, the President approved the deal only after ensuring that adequate funding was available, stressing that Tinubu do not make commitments he cannot fulfill.
“The beauty of any agreement is not at the point of signing; it is at the implementation phase,” Alausa said. “Before today, we have already started implementation. The circular backing all the various welfare components of the agreement has been released.”
He revealed that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission worked extensively between December 29 and 30 to finalise and issue the necessary circulars to support the agreement.
“The president said, ‘I will not give you the go-ahead to sign an agreement that I know I won’t implement.’ When he was convinced that the funding was available, he signed off,” the minister added.
Alausa confirmed that the Federal Government now has the resources to fund a 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers across all tertiary institutions, alongside nine enhanced Earned Academic Allowances that have been clearly structured.
“Today, we have the funding to support the 40 per cent salary increase that we’ve given our lecturers in all our tertiary institutions,” he said.
In a move described as unprecedented, the President also approved a new category of allowance for academic staff known as the Professorial Cadre Allowance, which applies to professors and readers.
“The president went further and created a new category of allowance for our academic staff. It’s called the Professorial Cadre Allowance,” Alausa explained.
“A professor will get almost over 140,000 top-up every month, while a reader will get about N70,000 additional every month. This has never been done before.”
He noted that the allowance has been integrated into salaries and will be paid monthly, emphasizing that it was a personal initiative of President Tinubu.
“This president came up with this himself. He said, ‘I’m meeting my commitment.’ When he makes promises, he doesn’t make empty promises,” Alausa said.
The minister also linked the improved labour relations to the relative stability in Nigeria’s university system since Tinubu assumed office.
“Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in on May 28, 2023, for two academic sessions, there has been no strike. It did not happen by coincidence,” he stated.
Reflecting on the negotiations with ASUU, Alausa said he approached the union without prejudice and found its leadership to be patriotic and committed to the future of education.
“What they wanted was fair compensation, better welfare, and a good education system for our children. That is exactly what this president wants,” he said.
He described the agreement as historic, noting that for the first time, a sitting president was directly involved and fully briefed at every stage of negotiations with ASUU.
“All the kudos go to the president. What he is doing is putting Nigeria on a path of sustainability with every transformative reform,” Alausa added.
While admitting that challenges remain, the minister insisted that Nigeria is better positioned today than it was 30 months ago.
“Are we there yet? No. But today, compared to 30 months ago, Nigeria is better off,” he concluded.
