The Federal Government has said that the 2025 agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is aimed at reinforcing university autonomy and ensuring long-term stability in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Mr. Dasuki Arabi, disclosed this during a working visit to Yakubu Gowon University in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
In a statement issued by Mr. Aliyu Umar, Head of Strategic Communication at BPSR, Arabi explained that the agreement, scheduled to take effect from January 2026, includes a 40 per cent salary increase, enhanced research funding and improved severance benefits for academic staff.
He said the agreement is specifically structured to strengthen autonomy safeguards, noting that successive administrations have remained committed to addressing structural challenges such as funding gaps and governance issues in the university system.
According to him, federal funding for universities has steadily increased over the years, complemented by infrastructural support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other initiatives.
On access to education, Arabi described the Students’ Loan Scheme as a critical intervention designed to remove financial barriers for indigent students.
“The implementation of the Students’ Loan Scheme is a significant step towards expanding access to higher education. It is structured to ensure that no willing and qualified student is left behind while promoting sustainability in the sector,” he said.
He, however, stressed that institutional autonomy must be balanced with accountability, explaining that while universities should independently manage academic and administrative functions to encourage innovation, they must operate within established governance frameworks.
Arabi also noted that the government-approved payroll system was introduced to enhance transparency and ensure proper verification of personnel records across federal institutions.
He added that recent salary adjustments for senior lecturers and professors reflect the government’s broader reform agenda to reposition the education sector for national development.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, expressed the university’s readiness to collaborate with the BPSR, identifying capacity development, staff competency enhancement and postgraduate training as key areas for partnership.