The Federal Government says the 2025 agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is designed to strengthen university autonomy and ensure long-term stability in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Mr Dasuki Arabi, made this known during a working visit to Yakubu Gowon University in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Head of Strategic Communication of BPSR, Mr Aliyu Umar.
Arabi said the agreement, which takes effect from January 2026, introduces a 40 per cent pay rise, enhanced research funding and improved severance entitlements for academic staff.
According to him, the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement seeks to strengthen autonomy safeguards, noting that successive administrations have remained committed to addressing structural issues such as funding gaps and governance concerns in public universities.
He said government had consistently increased funding to universities over the years, complemented by infrastructural interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other federal initiatives.
On access to education, Arabi described the Students’ Loan Scheme as a key intervention 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.
The BPSR director-general, however, stressed that autonomy must go hand in hand with accountability.
He explained that while universities should independently manage academic and administrative affairs to foster innovation, they must operate within established governance frameworks.
Arabi added that the government-approved payroll system was introduced to enhance transparency and verify personnel records across federal institutions.
He said recent salary adjustments for senior lecturers and professors align with the government’s broader reform agenda aimed at repositioning the education sector for national development.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, expressed readiness to partner with the BPSR.
Fawehinmi identified capacity development, staff competency enhancement and postgraduate training as priority areas for collaboration.
