Nigeria: FG-ASUU Agreement - Professors to Get ₦140k Monthly Allowance - Education Minister

The Federal Government has announced that professors in Nigerian universities will receive an additional ₦140,000 monthly allowance following a landmark agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today programme.

According to the minister, the allowance targets academics in the professorial cadre.

"This allowance is for professors. As long as you're a full-time professor or you're a reader, you'll get that additional top-up," Alausa explained.

He further broke down the payment structure, stating that while professors will receive approximately ₦140,000 monthly, readers will get about ₦70,000 as additional allowance each month.

The agreement, unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja, replaces the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement and includes a 40 per cent salary review for university teaching staff alongside the introduction of the professorial cadre allowance.

Alausa emphasized that the benefit applies exclusively to full-time academics.

"Let me emphasize clearly that these allowances apply strictly to full time and not part time professors and readers," he stated during the signing ceremony.

The minister described the approval as recognition of the workload carried by senior academics.

"This approval recognises the significant workload, administrative, scholarly and research responsibilities borne by academics at this level by the virtue of their profession and positions as professors or readers in our universities," he said.

Addressing concerns about sustainability, Alausa assured that the government has secured funding for the initiative.

"When the president was convinced that he had the funding, he signed off. Today we have the funding to support the 40% salary increase that we've given our lecturers in all our tertiary institutions," he noted.

The agreement also covers enhanced academic allowances, nine in total, with clear delineation of payment responsibilities between universities and the federal government.

Read the original article on Vanguard.