FG Enters Talks with ASUU to Review Academics’ Salaries, Formally Negotiating Union’s 40% Pay Rise Demand

The Federal Government (FG) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have officially commenced negotiations regarding the union’s demand for a significant 40 per cent increase in the emoluments of university lecturers, with talks centered on stabilizing the nation’s public university system. The move comes as the government prioritizes industrial harmony across the tertiary education sector to prevent future disruptions to the academic calendar.

Sources confirmed, that the negotiation is being spearheaded by a government team comprising officials from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC). ASUU has long contended that the current salary structure for academics has been rendered virtually worthless by the high rate of inflation and the devaluation of the Naira, asserting that the salaries of Nigerian professors are among the least competitive globally.

The union maintains that a substantial review is not merely desirable but necessary for attracting and retaining qualified academic talent and is crucial for finally resolving the sticky remnants of the defunct 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement. Both parties are said to be proceeding cautiously, aiming for a transparent and final resolution that addresses the economic realities facing academics while ensuring the sustainability of government funding.

The initiation of formal salary review talks is seen by observers as a proactive step by the Tinubu administration to address a primary catalyst for the recurring strikes that have plagued public universities over the last decade.