The Federal Government says the 2025 agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities is designed to strengthen autonomy safeguards and support long-term stability in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, a government official said.

Dasuki Arabi, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, made the comments during a working visit to Yakubu Gowon University in Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The statement was contained in a release by the Head of Strategic Communication at the Bureau of Public Service Reforms.

The 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU is expected to take effect from January 2026. It follows years of engagement between both parties to address issues in the public university system.

Arabi said the agreement “introduces a 40 per cent pay rise, enhanced research funding, and improved severance entitlements for academic staff”, according to the statement.

He noted that the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement aims to strengthen autonomy safeguards for universities.

According to Arabi, successive administrations have been committed to addressing structural challenges such as funding gaps and governance concerns in the nation’s universities.

The statement said the government has consistently increased funding for universities, supported by interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other federal initiatives.