After years of stalled talks, strikes and mutual suspicion, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) finally signed a new agreement on Wednesday to reset labour relations in Nigeria’s public university system.
The pact, unveiled in Abuja, formally replaces the disputed 2009 agreement that triggered repeated industrial actions and crippled academic calendars for more than a decade.
The agreement was presented at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Conference Hall in Maitama, with government officials hailing it as a fresh start that would stabilise universities and restore confidence among students, parents and staff.
However, beyond the celebratory tone, the structure of the new deal closely resembles key elements of the 2009 pact, raising concerns that old problems may have merely been repackaged rather than fundamentally resolved.
Several provisions on salaries, allowances and welfare echo commitments previously acknowledged but poorly implemented under past administrations.
ASUU President, Prof Chris Piwuna, reflected this guarded mood, noting that a long history of broken promises tempers the union’s optimism.
He said ASUU hopes the new agreement will end the cycle of strikes used to force compliance, but warned that scepticism remains because earlier deals largely failed at the implementation stage.
“We are optimistic that the government will implement this agreement in totality, but pessimism still exists because of our history.
“We believe that Dr Tunji Alausa will be different, and that our union will not need to issue a strike threat before any part of this agreement is implemented. As you always say, you are open and accessible; ASUU is also open and accessible,” Piwuna said.
A closer reading of the document shows that many of the gains now being celebrated, notably improved remuneration and welfare, were already embedded in the 2009 agreement but collapsed due to funding gaps, shifting government priorities, and weak enforcement.
Crucially, the new pact does not clearly spell out funding sources, timelines or legal safeguards to guarantee execution, flaws that undermined the previous deal.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, nonetheless described the agreement as a decisive turning point, crediting President Bola Tinubu with demonstrating the political will to prioritise education and ensure an uninterrupted academic calendar.
According to him, the agreement provides for a 40 per cent upward review of academic staff emoluments under the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), alongside a consolidated academic tools allowance.
Alausa said the improved package is intended to boost morale, enhance productivity and slow the brain drain that has hollowed out Nigeria’s universities.
He said, “This occasion represents far more than the presentation of a document; it symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence, and a decisive turning point in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
“Today’s agreement is a clear and unprecedented demonstration of the commitment of His Excellency, Bola Tinubu, to quality education and an uninterrupted academic calendar for all Nigerian students in our tertiary institutions.”
He also announced the introduction of a new professorial cadre allowance for full-time professors and academic leaders, describing it as recognition of their expanded teaching, research and administrative responsibilities.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, stressed that the agreement’s success would rest on faithful and timely execution, warning that signing documents without implementation only deepens mistrust.
He praised ASUU for what he called mature and patriotic engagement, adding that industrial peace can only be sustained through sincerity, transparency and partnership.
Dingyadi said, “I salute the Union for its maturity, perseverance, and patriotism while firmly presenting its concerns on pay and other critical issues. ASUU has demonstrated a willingness to engage constructively in the interest of students, parents, and the nation at large. This spirit of responsible unionism is vital for sustainable industrial relations.
“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, let us celebrate the unveiling of this agreement today. I strongly urge both parties to approach its implementation with sincerity, transparency, and a genuine spirit of partnership.
“Faithful and timely execution will not only build trust between the government and university staff but will also foster lasting industrial peace and restore confidence among students, parents, and the wider Nigerian public.
“Agreements gain true meaning not at the point of signing but through consistent and honest implementation.”
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Muntari Dandutse, described the pact as a milestone reflecting a collective resolve to end recurrent university crises.
Analysts, however, recall that similar assurances accompanied past agreements that eventually unravelled due to poor coordination and weak oversight.
He said, “This event marks a significant milestone in our collective journey towards creating a strategic trajectory for the sustainable development of our tertiary institutions. Today, we are not just signing a document; we are securing a promising future for Nigeria—a commitment to our children, our academia, and our national destiny.
“Today’s agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities is more than a formality; it is a historic step for the nation’s future.
“It marks a major milestone in the journey towards a sustainable and robust tertiary education system, born from intense dialogue, shared frustrations, and a collective refusal to let our universities remain captive to recurrent crises.”
*Timeline unstated, as deal isolates non-academic staff
Even as ASUU secured fresh concessions, fault lines within the university system widened.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), operating under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), warned that the deal effectively sidelines non-academic staff.
They cautioned that delays in renegotiating their own agreements risk creating a two-tier workforce and destabilising industrial harmony.
While congratulating ASUU, the unions warned that selective negotiations amount to “an invitation to chaos,” insisting that lasting peace cannot be achieved if welfare talks exclude non-teaching workers.
As the Federal Government celebrates what it calls a reset in relations with ASUU, observers note that the real test lies beyond the signing ceremony.
Without clear timelines, guaranteed funding and firm enforcement, failures that doomed the 2009 pact, the new agreement risks becoming yet another recycled document in Nigeria’s long history of unresolved university labour disputes.
*TUC set for fresh showdown over JOHESU salary stoppage
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has threatened a fresh confrontation with the Federal Government over the stoppage of salaries of members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), warning that it will mobilise workers nationwide if the decision is not reversed within seven days.
The Congress issued what it described as a final warning on Wednesday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a circular enforcing a “No Work, No Pay” policy and directing the stoppage of JOHESU members’ salaries from January 2026.
In a statement signed by TUC President Festus Osifo and Secretary General Nuhu Toro, the union condemned the circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and signed by Dr Abisola Adegoke, Director of Hospital Services.
The TUC described the directive as “reckless, authoritarian and confrontational,” accusing the ministry of abusing power and deliberately sabotaging ongoing negotiations with health workers.
According to the Congress, the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to withhold JOHESU salaries under the “No Work, No Pay” regime constitutes intimidation rather than policy.
“This circular is not policy; it is intimidation. You cannot negotiate with workers on one hand and punish them with the other,” the TUC declared, accusing the ministry of adopting strong-arm tactics inconsistent with democratic labour relations.
The Congress warned that the action represents a return to “command-and-control” labour administration and undermines dialogue at a time when health workers are already under severe strain.
TUC stressed that JOHESU members form the backbone of Nigeria’s fragile health system and said any attempt to weaponise their salaries would be interpreted as an attack on all Nigerian workers.
The union further accused the government of turning state institutions into instruments of coercion, warning that the use of IPPIS to punish workers is an abuse of state machinery.
“Congress will resist any attempt to starve workers into submission. History has shown that Nigerian workers do not surrender their rights under threats or hunger,” it said.
The TUC argued that by cutting off JOHESU salaries, the ministry was not only violating the spirit of ongoing negotiations but also attempting to intimidate workers across other sectors.
“It is an attempt to make an example of JOHESU to frighten the rest of the workforce into silence. Nigerian workers will not bow to intimidation,” the Congress maintained.
Issuing what it called a “final and non-negotiable demand,” the TUC gave the ministry seven days to withdraw the circular, restore all affected salaries and return to the negotiating table.
Failure to comply, it warned, would trigger wider industrial action beyond the health sector.
“All affiliates of Congress, the 36 state councils and the FCT council have been placed on red alert and are directed to remain on standby for further directives,” the statement said.
The TUC insisted that any nationwide industrial unrest or disruption of essential services arising from the dispute would be the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and its leadership.
Framing the standoff as a test of Nigeria’s democratic commitment to fair labour practices, the Congress reaffirmed its support for JOHESU and vowed to resist what it described as oppression and intimidation.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria stands shoulder-to-shoulder with JOHESU and all Nigerian workers. We will confront injustice wherever it rears its head,” the statement concluded.
