By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Federal Government’s promise of a 40 per cent salary increase for university lecturers is threatening to become another flashpoint in Nigeria’s already troubled tertiary education sector, as several universities struggle to translate the agreement into actual payments.
More than eight months after the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities reached an agreement covering lecturers’ pay, allowances and other conditions of service, implementation remains uneven across the country.
At some institutions, lecturers have received the increase and portions of their arrears. At others, the agreement exists largely on paper, with university managements and state governments still negotiating funding arrangements.
The uncertainty has already pushed some lecturers into industrial action, while others have issued ultimatums threatening strikes if the outstanding financial provisions are not implemented.
The disagreement became more pronounced following the ASUU National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9.
At the meeting, the union directed its branches in 20 universities where the agreement had not been fully implemented to issue 14-day ultimatums to their managements.
The Benin and Yola zones of the union had also issued separate warnings involving 11 state universities across Edo, Delta, Ondo, Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe states.
The salary increase was expected to take effect from January 1, 2026, alongside revised allowances and other provisions contained in the Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
But rather than producing uniform implementation, the agreement has created a patchwork of experiences across universities, with some lecturers receiving the new salary while others continue to wait for government funding.
At Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, lecturers have already resorted to strike action over the delay.
The university’s ASUU Chairman, Bolu Oshodi, said the union would not be satisfied with assurances until the money actually reached lecturers’ bank accounts.
“We will call off the strike when we receive alerts in our bank accounts. Alert of the implementation and the arrears starting from January, that is when we will suspend the strike,” he said.
The situation is similar at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, where the ASUU branch is also on indefinite strike.
However, the Ondo State Government said it had approved the required funds.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the payment was being processed administratively.
“The governor has approved the payment of the money, but the payment has to pass through some processes which is ongoing. Very soon they will begin to get their alerts,” he said.
Ultimatums Spread
At Plateau State University, Bokkos, lecturers are also preparing for possible industrial action.
The institution’s ASUU Chairman, Dr Vincent Choji, said the failure to commence implementation had become the basis for the union’s ultimatum.
“Here in Plateau State University, the implementation has not started. That’s why we are agitating to go on strike,” he said.
Kaduna State University lecturers have equally issued a 14-day ultimatum to their management and the state government.
The university’s ASUU Chairman, Abubakar Abdullahi, expressed frustration that the institution was yet to implement the agreement despite the passage of several months.
“More than eight months after the agreement was signed, KASU is yet to commence its implementation, while almost all federal universities and several state universities have either implemented the agreement or announced timelines for its implementation, including the payment of accrued arrears,” he said.
The dispute has also spread to Kano, where lecturers in the state-owned Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, and Northwest University, Kano, were still awaiting implementation.
ASUU’s Kano State Chairman, Dr Aliyu Ahmad, said the state government had approved implementation from September.
He added that arrears covering January to August would be provided for in the 2027 budget.
“The state government has approved N228.19m for the implementation, comprising N141.08m for academic staff and N87.11m for non-teaching staff,” he said.
Universities Caught Between Funding And Promises
For some institutions, the problem goes beyond whether management wants to implement the agreement. Funding has emerged as a major obstacle.
At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, ASUU chairperson, Prof Florence Orabueze, said the university had resorted to internally generated revenue to sustain payments.
“The Vice Chancellor is not owing us anything; it is just that the Federal Government is not giving them the money for the payment. The problem is that the government is not releasing the money,” she said.
A similar funding challenge has been reported at Bayero University, Kano.
According to the institution’s ASUU Chairman, Prof Ibrahim Siraj, the university initially financed the 40 per cent adjustment from its own resources before receiving reimbursement from the Federal Government.
“Yes, BUK has been paying the 40 per cent salary increase. The university sourced the money locally and has so far paid for seven months, January to July, and later the Federal Government refunded the money,” he said.
But the arrangement has become uncertain for August.
Siraj said the university management had informed lecturers that the latest payment could not be made without cash backing from the Federal Government.
The uneven implementation is also evident at the University of Uyo, where ASUU Chairman, Prof Opeyemi Olajide, said the financial component had been implemented up to June, although some allowances had not been paid consistently.
“With regard to the financial component, we have enjoyed it up to June, apart from last month, the Earned Academic Allowance was not paid with our salaries. Even, the university did not start paying EAA from January. It was in the month of June that they paid us six months’ arrears,” he said.
Some Universities Have Started Paying
While the delays have generated tension elsewhere, some universities have moved ahead with implementation.
At Moses Adasu University, formerly Benue State University, ASUU Chairman, Sule Ako, confirmed that the new salary structure had commenced.
“The 40 per cent increase in salary is an item in the 2025 government-ASUU agreement and our university has started the implementation,” he said.
The Federal University of Technology, Owerri, has also commenced payment.
Its ASUU Chairman, Chinedu Ihejirika, said lecturers were receiving not only the salary increase but several associated allowances.
“ASUU-FUTO has signed the agreement and we are being paid the new salary. We receive CATA, EAA, Professorial Allowance and Responsibility Allowance,” he said.
At Enugu State University of Science and Technology, the dispute has taken a different path, with lecturers signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the state government on August 20 for implementation from September 1.
However, the institution’s ASUU Chairman, Dr Andrew Apeh, said the union had not formally suspended its strike.
“We have not called off or suspended the strike. Only that we have gotten to a suitable state,” he said.
For some lecturers, the salary adjustment represents only one part of a wider disagreement over the implementation of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
At Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, ASUU Chairman, Prof Bruno Ikuli, said the union was also pressing for the implementation of other allowances contained in the agreement.
“The 40 per cent is the salary increment, but we also have allowances, responsibility allowance, professorial allowance and other entitlements that have to be addressed,” he said.
At Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, the university has implemented some components but still has outstanding obligations.
ASUU Chairman, Terseer Abari, said the institution had paid the Consolidated Academic Staff Salaries and Earned Academic Allowance components, while other elements remained incomplete.
He said the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance and Professorial Allowance had only been paid for January and February 2026, while just 39 per cent of the CATA for March had been paid.
Meanwhile, at the Imo State University, the 40 per cent salary increase remains part of the demands behind the ongoing industrial action.
The university’s ASUU Chairman, Stephen Oguji, said the salary adjustment had yet to be implemented.
“It is actually that 40 per cent that we are fighting for in the 2025 ASUU agreement. It has not been implemented,” he said.
Leave a Reply