FG Releases ₦2.3bn To Settle Lecturers Arrears Pledges Reforms In Tertiary Education

The Federal Government has released ₦2.3 billion to clear salary and promotion arrears owed to university lecturers, reaffirming its commitment to revitalising Nigeria’s tertiary education sector through fiscal reforms and dialogue with academic unions.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja while giving updates on ongoing talks with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university-based unions. He said President Bola Tinubu remains determined to resolve all pending welfare and funding issues in a transparent and sustainable way.

According to Alausa, the ₦2.311 billion represents Batch 8 of salary and promotion arrears released through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. He said universities should begin to receive alerts soon, noting that the disbursement demonstrates the administration’s resolve to clear inherited debts and improve staff welfare.

He also revealed that the government is finalising the release of third-party non-statutory deductions and pension remittances through the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General’s office.

The Minister further announced that starting from 2026, the Earned Academic Allowance will be fully integrated into university salaries to ensure timely and consistent payments. He added that funds under the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities have also been released, with provisions made to sustain the initiative in future budgets.

Alausa stressed that while the government is committed to better welfare for university staff, all agreements must be realistic and within available financial limits. He said the Yayale Ahmed Negotiating Committee is serving as a platform for continuous engagement between the government and university unions to resolve welfare concerns through honest and respectful dialogue.

He maintained that the Federal Government will not adopt fiscal practices that could destabilise the economy, insisting that every commitment must align with approved budgetary allocations to ensure stability and accountability.

However, some lecturers have disputed the government’s announcement, claiming that their October salaries remain unpaid. Lecturers from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna, told reporters that they were yet to receive any payment, expressing frustration over repeated salary delays.

A branch chairman of ASUU at a northern university, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that members had not been paid, saying the announcement did not reflect the situation on the ground.

ASUU has been in a prolonged standoff with the government over unpaid salaries, promotion arrears, and the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement. The union also demands revitalisation funds for universities and the release of withheld cooperative deductions.

The lecturers recently suspended a two-week warning strike after interventions by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Assembly. Yet, unresolved grievances persist, particularly over withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries and the slow pace of implementing the 2009 agreement, which has remained stalled since 2017 despite multiple government committees.

The latest committee, chaired by Yayale Ahmed, submitted its report in December 2024, but implementation has yet to begin, leaving university staff uncertain about when long-standing promises will finally be fulfilled.