The Federal Government has introduced a new professorial cadre allowance that will see university professors receive a monthly top-up of over ₦140,000, as part of a broader package that includes a 40 percent salary increase for lecturers across federal institutions.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities reached a historic 2025 agreement, bringing to an end a 16-year deadlock over the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement and paving the way for better welfare, increased funding, and greater stability in Nigeria’s university system.

The agreement was formally presented in Abuja by the Minister of Education, who described it as a major milestone for the tertiary education sector and a clear reflection of President Bola Tinubu’s resolve to ensure quality, accessible, and uninterrupted university education.

Alausa stated that the nine enhanced Earned Academic Allowances have been clearly defined and properly structured in the signed agreement.

He stated, “A professor will now receive a monthly top-up of over ₦140,000, as President Tinubu has created a new category of allowance for academic staff, known as the professorial cadre allowance—an enhanced additional package.

“Today, we have the funding to support the 40% salary increase granted to our lecturers across all our institutions, as well as the nine enhanced Earned Academic Allowances, which are now well structured.”

The minister gave assurances that the agreement would be fully implemented, noting that the true value of any agreement lies not in its signing but in how effectively it is carried out.

He stated, “Before today, we had already started implementation. The Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the President worked several hours between December 20, 29, and 30 to ensure that the circular to back up the workers’ welfare component of the agreement was released. The circular has been released.

“When we were negotiating the agreement, the President said, ‘I will not give you the go-ahead to go and sign an agreement I know I will not implement.’ As we went back and forth, the key question was: do I have the funding to do this? When the President was completely convinced that he had the funding, he signed off.

“Today, we have the funding to support the 40 percent salary increase that will be given to lecturers in all tertiary institutions.

“We started with ASUU today. The enhanced Earned Academic Allowances—nine of them in all—have now been very well structured. The lecturers and academics now know who the Federal Government will pay, what they are paid for, and the cost.”