The Federal Government has signed a major agreement with university teachers to improve their pay and working conditions.
The deal aims to end years of arguments and school closures in Nigeria’s higher education system.
A key highlight of the agreement is the new "Professorial Credit Allowance."
This is extra money given to top teachers, known as Professors and Readers, to thank them for their hard work.
Under this plan, full-time Professors will receive an extra ₦1.8 million every year.
This means they will get about ₦140,000 more in their monthly salary.
Readers (the rank just below Professor) will also get an extra ₦840,000 per year, which is about ₦70,000 extra every month.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Maruf Alausa, explained that this money is for full-time staff only, not part-time workers.
“This approval recognises the significant workload, administrative, scholarly, and service responsibilities borne by academics at this level,” the Minister said
The allowance is meant to support research coordination, academic documentation, correspondence and administrative duties, allowing academics to focus more on teaching, mentorship and innovation.
The government said a circular directing the full implementation of the agreement was issued on 30th December 2025, by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. The allowance will take effect from 1st January 2026.
The Minister praised ASUU for nobly joining the Federal Government to sign this agreement, and praised President Tinubu for what he described as strong leadership and commitment to education, adding that the agreement ends a dispute that had lasted for more than 20 years.
He explained that the government wants to make sure teachers are happy so that the future of Nigerian students can be secured.
