FG–ASUU Agreement Guarantees Full Professorial Pension, Six-Month Maternity Leave for Female Lecturers

Retired professors in Nigeria’s recognised public universities will now receive pension benefits equivalent to 100 per cent of their annual salaries, under the newly ratified agreement between the Federal Government (FG) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The agreement, unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja, stipulates that only professors who have served continuously in a recognised university until reaching the mandatory retirement age qualify for the full pension. The document sets the retirement age for professors at 70 years.

Section 3.6 of the 35-page pact specifies: “An academic staff who retires as a professor in a recognized university shall be entitled to pension at a rate equivalent to his annual salary provided that the professor has served continuously in a recognized University up to the retirement age.”

Stakeholders at the unveiling emphasised that the measure aims to reward decades of teaching, research, and administrative service, while also retaining experienced academics and curbing the brain drain known as the “Japa syndrome.” In 2025 alone, ASUU reported that 309 professors exited the country’s public university system in one month.

In addition to pension reforms, the agreement introduces six-month maternity leave for female academic staff. Section 3.4(vii) of the agreement reads: “Qualified female academic staff shall be entitled to a Maternity Leave of six months as provided in the subsisting Public Service Rules.”

Another highlight is the Professorial Cadre Allowance for full-time Professors and Readers, designed to support research coordination, academic documentation, and administrative efficiency. Professors will receive ₦1.74 million per year (₦140,000 monthly), while Readers will earn ₦840,000 per year (₦70,000 monthly). The allowance is exclusive to full-time academics.

Speaking on the agreement, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa described it as a historic milestone, reflecting President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to prioritising education and ensuring uninterrupted academic calendars. Dr. Alausa noted that decades of unresolved remuneration issues had disrupted academic programs and undermined staff morale, and that the current agreement marked a shift from discord to dialogue and reform.

The agreement is expected to strengthen industrial harmony in federal tertiary institutions, boost staff morale, and provide a sustainable framework for academic excellence, welfare, and institutional stability.