The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian university professors will receive an additional ₦140,000 monthly allowance following the recent agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the development on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. According to Alausa, the allowance applies to academics in the professorial cadre, with full professors receiving about ₦140,000 monthly and readers receiving roughly ₦70,000 as a top-up.
“This allowance is for professors. As long as you are a full-time professor or a reader, you’ll get that additional top-up,” the minister explained, stressing that the benefits are exclusively for full-time academics, not part-time staff.
The agreement, signed in Abuja, replaces the 2009 FG–ASUU pact and includes a 40 per cent salary review for university teaching staff, alongside the introduction of the professorial cadre allowance. Alausa noted that the initiative recognises the significant administrative, scholarly, and research responsibilities borne by senior academics.
Addressing concerns about funding, the minister assured that the government has secured the necessary resources. “When the president was convinced that he had the funding, he signed off. Today we have the funding to support the 40% salary increase for lecturers in all our tertiary institutions,” Alausa said.
The agreement also provides for nine enhanced academic allowances, with clear responsibilities for payments shared between universities and the federal government, ensuring long-term sustainability of the benefits for senior academic staff.
