Uncertainty grows as lecturers await January salaries weeks after FG ASUU agreement promised immediate implementation
Uncertainty is growing across Nigeria’s public universities following delays in January salary payments, weeks after the Federal Government signed a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
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The agreement, signed on January 14, 2026, replaces a 17-year-old pact that had repeatedly triggered industrial disputes in the university system.
At the signing ceremony in Abuja, Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa assured stakeholders that implementation would begin immediately, starting with the payment of lecturers’ January salaries.
However, lecturers in several universities say the salaries are yet to be paid, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to the FG ASUU agreement and its broader implementation.
The new deal provides for a 40 per cent salary increase for university lecturers, improved funding for public universities, enhanced infrastructure, a restructured Earned Academic Allowance system, and a 100 per cent pension increase for retired professors. It also includes a mandatory review every three years to ensure sustainability.
Despite these provisions, lecturers remain cautious. Professor Adelaja Odukoya, former ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lagos, said members are reserving judgment until salaries are received.
According to Odukoya, delays in salary payments often stretch into the second or third week of the month, but the current delay has heightened anxiety given the government’s promise of immediate implementation.
Former ASUU National Treasurer, Professor Olusiji Sowande of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said union members broadly welcomed the agreement, noting that it reflected collective input from current and past union leaders.
Sowande explained that while the 40 per cent increment fell short of expectations after nearly two decades without a comprehensive review, it was considered realistic given prevailing economic conditions.
He added that ASUU leaders sought and obtained approval from Congress before signing the agreement.
He also pointed to previous benefits enjoyed by lecturers, including minimum wage adjustments and wage awards, describing the latest increment as an additional gain rather than a reversal.
Sowande said the three-year review clause offers room for improvement if the government demonstrates sincerity in implementation.
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As lecturers continue to wait for January salary alerts, observers say the coming days will determine whether the new FG ASUU agreement restores confidence in Nigeria’s university system or deepens existing scepticism over government promises.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
