The Federal Government has disbursed 50 billion naira from the 200 billion naira Needs Assessment Fund (NAF) promised under its recent agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Minister of Education said.
Tunji Alausa said an additional 50 billion naira would be released soon, bringing the total disbursement to 100 billion naira. He said the ministry would meet with heads of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to determine how the funds would be allocated.
The NAF is part of a long-standing 2009 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government, which remained unresolved for more than a decade. The renegotiated agreement was concluded on December 23, 2025, and officially unveiled on January 14, 2026, with implementation beginning immediately.
“This is not about showmanship or grandstanding. The implementation circular was issued before the end of December,” Alausa said. He noted that the agreement had helped stabilise the university system, pointing out that federal universities had not experienced strikes in the past two academic sessions.
The minister also said the education ministry had established a labour and union activities unit to ensure proper implementation of agreements with workers’ unions. Addressing unpaid salaries from the 2022 ASUU strike, he said President Bola Tinubu approved payment of half of the eight-month arrears, which has already been fulfilled.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Ezekiel Ayoola, urged the government to extend the recently approved academic allowances to emeritus professors. Speaking in Ibadan, Oyo State, Ayoola said many retired senior academics continue to contribute to research, supervision, and mentorship but receive no salaries, allowances, or structured financial support.
“Emeritus professors are appointed without pay, yet they continue to serve the university system diligently,” he said. “The government should extend the recent allowances approved for active scholars to them.”
