President Bola Ahmad Tinubu Salary Review for Federal University Lecturers: Implications for Private and State Universities

The seemingly eternal gridlock in welfare of academics seem to have docked in a beautiful station by President Bola Ahmad Tinubu’s recent agreement with ASUU. On January 14, 2026, the Federal Government formally signed and unveiled a new renegotiated agreement with ASUU. This agreement replaces the controversial 2009 pact and officially took effect on January 1, 2026. The implication was on three foci:

a. The culture of reneged and unsigned agreements between ASUU and FG was broken.

b. Implementation was not eclipsed on unrealistic date, a timeline was fixed, which was immediate, and announcing a revolutionary change in trend.

c. The package of the agreement was both rich and revolutionary. At least, it is fair enough to sustain academics in finding motivation in service delivery, as well as for government to retain only quality staff in the system.

Key Breakdown of the agreement

1. Salary and Remuneration (40% Increase)

• Upward Review: The agreement includes a 40% increase in academic staff emoluments.
• Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA): This increase is primarily delivered through a new allowance called CATA. It is designed to cover costs for research, journal publications, conference participation, internet access, and books.
• Graduate Assistants will receive approx. ₦1 million annually.
• Professors will receive approx. ₦3.8 million annually.

2. New Allowances for Senior Staff

• Professorial Cadre Allowance: A new allowance introduced strictly for full-time Professors and Readers to support their leadership and research duties.
• Professors: Receive approx. ₦1.74 million — ₦1.8 million per annum (approx. ₦140,000 monthly).
• Readers: Receive approx. ₦840,000 per annum (approx. ₦70,000 monthly).

3. Earned Academic Allowances (EAA)

The controversial EAA has been restructured into nine (9) duty-based components to ensure transparency. You get paid strictly for duties performed. Rates have been reviewed upwards, including:

• Postgraduate Supervision: Up to ₦50,000 per student for Professors.
• Other Covered Duties: Industrial supervision, teaching practice, postgraduate oral exams, and external moderation/assessment.

4. Pensions and Retirement

• Retirement Age: Officially fixed at 70 years for the professorial cadre.
• 100% Pension: Retired Professors in public universities will now receive a pension equivalent to 100% of their annual salary upon retirement (provided they meet specific service years).

5. Funding and Revitalization

• Stabilisation and Restoration Fund: The FG has committed ₦30 billion for university revitalization, to be disbursed in three annual installments of ₦10 billion starting in 2026.
• National Research Council: The agreement includes a plan to forward a bill to the National Assembly to establish a National Research Council. This council will be funded by at least 1% of Nigeria’s GDP to support innovation and development.

6. Autonomy and Other Benefits

• University Autonomy: The agreement mandates a review of laws that currently restrict university autonomy (including JAMB, NUC, and TETFund Acts).
• Leadership: Deans and Provosts will now be elected, and these positions are restricted to Professors.
• Leave Benefits:
• Maternity Leave: Extended to 6 months for female academic staff.
• Paternity Leave: Fixed at 2 weeks for male academic staff.

Implementation Status

The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) has reportedly issued circulars to relevant agencies to commence the implementation of the new financial terms effective from January 1, 2026.

What are the implications for States and Private Universities?

The tenure of PBAT started with removal of subsidy from PMS and improved Federal Account Allocation to the state governments. Unfortunately, 97% of the states are also crawling on “unfit” wages. Most thrived-on failure benchmarking — mere comparison of what was obtainable in the tenures of their predecessors that did little with the little FAAC they got. In most instances, wages in the states do not in any way speak to the economic adjustments and inflationary changes. In 2023 during an NUC accreditation exercise, I once saw the payslip of a professor in a state university in Kogi and was shocked. It was even below that of a Senior Lecturer. Yet, the man was in another private university in Kogi State that was also struggling with salaries. Indeed, there are states that are cultural with quality salaries in the universities. Such states include Rivers State, Delta, and then Taraba at some point last year started paying a salary scheme in their state university that was above board. For others, the FG is the ceiling which they can always crawl a bit beneath.

For the private universities: except for very few private universities, that might not be more than 3 out of the existing 168 in the country, most of them ride on the shoulders of operating national shameful wage to recreate a more demeaning working conditions in their own spaces. In fact, most elitist private universities have a working wage that implies that they are intentional with getting some “rag-wearing lecturers” to teach their heavy-school fees paying students. A complex matrix in poor brand posturing. There is always, in most instances, excess course load with a poorer wage, tighter working hour and regulations, including dressing codes — despite the poor wages. In many others, there is even higher resource demand, especially ICT tools and internet services to navigate the Learning Management System. Yet, and in terms of salaries, a few of them crawl a bit above the old Federal Scale, while the others sustain their senior academics with visiting and adjuncts staff that they pay peanuts. To them, they are helping them in supplementing the poor wage from FG and State Governments. Therefore, it’s a favor.

Generally, what are the implications to both States and Private Universities?

State Universities: The “Domestication” Battle

The most immediate impact will be the recreation of the wave of agitation in state-owned universities. We should note as follows:

• Not Automatically Binding: Legally, this agreement binds only the Federal Government. State Governors are not automatically obligated to pay the new 40% increase or the CATA allowance.
• The “Domestication” Struggles: ASUU chapters in state universities will immediately demand the “domestication” of this agreement (i.e., adopting the federal rates). They operate on the principle of “Same Job, Same Pay.”
• Risk of Local Strikes: Many state governors will likely claim they cannot afford the 40% pay rise, especially given recent adjustments to the national minimum wage. This will likely lead to localized strikes in state universities throughout 2026 as lecturers refuse to earn less than their federal counterparts.
• Tuition Increases: To fund these higher salaries without federal support, state governments may be forced to significantly increase tuition fees, shifting the burden to students and parents. Fortunately, we have the NELFUND

Private Universities: Market Pressure, Adjustments or Brain Drain?

Private universities are not unionized under ASUU in the same way, so they will not go on strike. However, they face a severe “market” threat. Most private universities that have managed to sustain quality staff will need immediate recalibration to towards keeping the balance. It is of moment to highlight the following:

• Brain leakages and escape: The new federal package is now highly attractive. A Federal Professor now earns a 40% higher salary, gets a ~₦1.8m annual allowance, and is guaranteed a 100% pension upon retiring at 70. Private universities, which often do not offer pensions this generous, may lose their best senior staff to federal institutions.
• Pressure to Increase Salaries: To stop their lecturers from leaving for federal jobs, private universities will be forced to increase their own salaries to stay competitive.
• Higher School Fees: Private universities rely almost entirely on tuition for revenue. If they increase staff salaries to match the FG’s new rates, they will almost certainly pass this cost on to parents in the form of higher school fees.

The FG has made a statement in the educational sector, let’s see if any dawn has been birthed in this all important sphere.