By Ibrahim Muhammad
The Federal Government has released ₦2.3 billion to settle outstanding salary and promotion arrears owed to lecturers in public universities across the country.
Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who disclosed this on Wednesday, said the payment—processed through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation—represents the eighth batch of arrears disbursement to university staff nationwide.
“A total of ₦2.311 billion, representing Batch 8 salary and promotion arrears, has been released through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to universities,” Alausa said in a statement signed by ministry spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo. “Benefiting institutions should begin to receive payment alerts anytime from now.”
He added that government was finalising the release of third-party deductions and pension remittances, while plans are underway to integrate the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) into university salaries by 2026 to ensure “predictable and sustainable payments.”
Alausa reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to reforming Nigeria’s tertiary education sector through “transparent, fair, and sustainable” fiscal policies, stressing that government would not engage in “unsustainable financial practices.”
Negotiations between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are ongoing through the Yayale Ahmed Committee, which serves as a bridge between both parties.
However, some lecturers have expressed disappointment, claiming that their October salaries are yet to be paid despite the government’s announcement.
“We are surprised at the announcement because October salaries have not been paid,” said a lecturer from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another academic from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, noted that salary delays had become frequent. “The government now delays our salaries without any explanation,” he lamented.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, could not be reached for comment, but a northern branch chairman confirmed that members had not received payment.
The union, which represents thousands of lecturers in Nigeria’s public universities, recently suspended a two-week warning strike after interventions from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Assembly.
ASUU’s key demands include payment of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, and revitalisation funding for public universities.
A report on the renegotiation, submitted in December 2024 by the Yayale Ahmed Committee, is still awaiting government implementation.
