The Federal Government has announced the release of ₦2.3 billion to clear outstanding salary and promotion arrears owed to university lecturers across the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday while providing updates on ongoing engagements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions. He said the payment represents Batch 8 arrears and reflects President Bola Tinubu’s resolve to clear inherited backlogs and improve staff welfare in the education sector.
According to Alausa, the funds were released through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and universities are expected to begin receiving payment alerts “anytime from now.” He added that the government is also finalising the release of third-party non-statutory deductions and pension remittances, expected to be completed soon.
The minister further revealed that the Federal Government has approved the full mainstreaming of the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) into university salaries beginning in 2026 to ensure “prompt, predictable, and sustainable payments.” He said funds have also been disbursed under the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities project, with corresponding budgetary provisions made to sustain it.
“The government remains committed to improving staff welfare, but will only enter into agreements that are realistic and financially sustainable,” Alausa stated, adding that negotiations are being handled by the Yayale Ahmed-led committee “in good faith, with mutual respect.”
He stressed that the Tinubu administration would not engage in “unsustainable fiscal practices,” noting that all commitments must align with approved budgetary provisions to guarantee long-term stability.
However, some university lecturers told First Daily that their October 2025 salaries remain unpaid despite the ministry’s announcement.
A lecturer from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said, “I can say with all authority that our October salaries have not been paid, so we are surprised by the announcement.”
Another lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, lamented what he described as a “recurring delay” in salary payments, saying, “It is now becoming a trend. The government keeps delaying our salaries without explanation.”
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While ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, could not be reached for comments, a branch chairman in a northern university confirmed that salaries were yet to be received, stating, “We have not gotten a dime, not even our regular pay.”
ASUU has long been in dispute with the Federal Government over issues including unpaid salaries, promotion arrears, and the full implementation of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement. The union argues that the government’s failure to honour its commitments has weakened the public university system and worsened staff welfare.
The union recently suspended a two-week warning strike after interventions from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Assembly.
ASUU’s key demands include the payment of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, revitalisation funding for universities, and the release of 25–35% salary arrears, among other issues. The renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, last reviewed by the Yayale Ahmed Committee in 2024, remains unimplemented.