The federal government says the 2025 agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities is specifically designed to strengthen autonomy safeguards and ensure long-term stability in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

The director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Arabi, made the disclosure during a working visit to the Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja) in Gwagwalada, Abuja, according to a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Arabi noted that the agreement, set to take effect from January 2026, introduces a 40 per cent pay raise, enhanced research funding, and improved severance entitlements for academic staff.

He said that the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement seeks to strengthen autonomy safeguards, adding that successive administrations have remained committed to addressing structural issues such as funding gaps and governance concerns.

According to him, the government has consistently increased university funding over the years, bolstered by infrastructural interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other federal initiatives.

Regarding educational access, the director-general highlighted the Student Loan Scheme as a pivotal intervention to remove financial barriers for indigent students.

“The implementation of the Students’ Loan Scheme is a significant step towards expanding access to higher education. It is structured to ensure that no willing and qualified student is left behind while promoting sustainability in the sector,” he said.

Mr Arabi, however, maintained that university autonomy must coexist with accountability.

He explained that while institutions should manage academic and administrative duties independently to foster innovation, they must operate within defined governance frameworks.

He further noted that the government-approved payroll system was implemented to enhance transparency and verify personnel records across federal institutions.

The BPSR boss added that recent salary adjustments for senior lecturers and professors reflected the government’s broader reform agenda aimed at repositioning the education sector for national development.

The university’s vice-chancellor, Hakeem Fawehinmi, expressed the institution’s readiness to partner with the BPSR.

Mr Fawehinmi identified capacity development, staff competency enhancement, and postgraduate training as key areas for immediate collaboration.

(NAN)