By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The federal government has pledged to honour its agreements with tertiary institution workers, declaring that Nigerian students must no longer lose precious academic years to strikes triggered by unfulfilled government commitments.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja while unveiling the 2026 agreements between the Federal Government and staff unions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Alausa, who described the agreements as a major step towards restoring confidence in government-union relations, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was determined to end the cycle of broken promises, industrial disputes and disruptions to academic calendars that had plagued the country’s tertiary education system for decades.
He declared that a four-year degree programme must be completed in four years, insisting that the Federal Government would fulfil its obligations under the newly unveiled agreements.
“During his campaign, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised that a four-year course would be completed in four years. Today, through his leadership, these agreements give practical expression to that pledge: A promise made, a promise kept, and trust restored,” the minister said.
The agreements cover the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, CATA, for the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, as well as the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance, CONTTA, for non-teaching staff unions across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The allowances are to take effect from January 1, 2026, in line with the agreements and applicable implementation guidelines.
Alausa, however, acknowledged that the unveiling of the agreements was only the beginning, stressing that their credibility would ultimately depend on the government’s ability to implement the provisions faithfully.
“Let me state clearly, on behalf of the Federal Government: We will fulfil our own part of these historic agreements. We recognise that public confidence will depend on the obligations we honour after this ceremony,” he said.
In a move aimed at preventing future disputes over the implementation of agreements, the minister announced the expansion of the existing Implementation and Monitoring Committee, IMC, established for the agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
Under the new arrangement, the committee will become a single monitoring platform for agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions across tertiary institutions.
Its membership will be broadened to accommodate the relevant unions and stakeholders, with responsibility for tracking agreed milestones, assessing progress, resolving implementation challenges and ensuring accountability through periodic reports.
According to Alausa, the committee will monitor both achievements and outstanding obligations to ensure that commitments are implemented within agreed timelines.
He said the government intended to identify implementation difficulties early and resolve them before they degenerated into disputes capable of disrupting academic activities.
The minister urged government agencies to discharge their responsibilities diligently, while governing councils and institutional managements were directed to maintain accurate records, comply with implementation guidelines and cooperate fully with the committee.
He also urged union leaders to keep their members informed and channel emerging concerns through established mechanisms.
Alausa recalled that agreements between successive governments and staff unions had, for decades, been undermined by delayed, incomplete or unfulfilled commitments, leading to recurring industrial disputes.
The consequences, he said, extended beyond the negotiating parties, with students losing valuable learning time, families bearing additional financial burdens and teaching and research suffering repeated setbacks.
He noted that prolonged strikes had created uncertainty around academic calendars, making it difficult for students to complete their programmes within the prescribed periods.
The minister said the Tinubu administration was determined to reverse the trend by building a system in which agreements were respected and academic activities proceeded without unnecessary interruptions.
He maintained that industrial harmony was indispensable to educational excellence, adding that stable academic calendars would enable institutions to plan effectively, sustain research and allow students to concentrate on their studies.
“We must strengthen early consultation and resolve differences through constructive dialogue, mutual respect and good-faith engagement. Our students and their families must remain at the centre of these efforts,” he said.
Explaining the significance of the agreements, Alausa said CATA and CONTTA were designed to support the professional and operational needs of eligible academic and non-academic personnel.
He said the allowances reflected the government’s recognition that the quality of tertiary education was inseparable from the welfare, motivation and professional wellbeing of the workforce.
According to him, improved staff welfare must go beyond financial allowances to include fair treatment, transparent promotion processes, occupational safety and opportunities for career advancement.
He pledged that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to work with relevant agencies, governing councils, institutional managements and unions to create an environment in which personnel could perform their duties effectively.
The minister also commended the leadership of ASUP, COEASU and the non-teaching staff unions for their participation in the negotiations, while acknowledging the contributions of relevant ministries, departments, agencies and technical teams.
Alausa reserved special commendation for the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, chaired by Malam Yayale Ahmed, whose work he said had brought the negotiations to a successful conclusion.
He praised Ahmed and members of the committee for their patience, experience and dedication in resolving the issues involved in the negotiations.
The minister also credited President Tinubu’s support and guidance for making the agreements possible, describing them as evidence of the administration’s commitment to the welfare of education workers and the future of Nigerian students.
Signed agreements were presented to representatives of academic and non-academic staff unions, including ASUP, COEASU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, and other unions representing staff in polytechnics and colleges of education.
The ultimate test of the agreements, however, will be whether the allowances are implemented as stipulated and the monitoring mechanism can prevent outstanding obligations from triggering another round of industrial disputes.
To prevent future disputes from escalating into industrial action, the Minister announced plans to expand the existing implementation and monitoring committee established for ASUU into a single body responsible for monitoring all agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions in tertiary institutions.
He said the committee’s membership had been broadened to accommodate the unions and other relevant stakeholders, adding that the government would also work towards making it a permanent structure.
According to him, the decision followed the success of having a single committee negotiate with the various unions, which helped accelerate the renegotiation process.
He said the expanded panel would provide a platform for identifying implementation challenges early and resolving grievances before they disrupt academic activities.
He urged union leaders to channel complaints through the committee rather than resorting to public confrontations or threats of strikes.
Alausa added that the agreements contained a provision for review every three years, allowing the government and unions to reopen discussions on emerging concerns and mutually agreed adjustments.
In his remarks, Ahmed who served as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education between 1997 and 2000, said the success of the negotiations depended on a spirit of give-and-take between the government and labour unions.
According to him, union leaders demonstrated responsibility by defending their members’ interests while also appreciating the financial and administrative constraints facing the government.
The elder statesman, however, stressed that unveiling the agreement was only the beginning, insisting that its successful implementation would be the real test of the negotiations.
“To me, this is the beginning of our job. The most important thing is for us to have a seamless agreement collectively, which the government is not only willing but comfortable to implement to the letter,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the commitment of Dr Alausa and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, to ensure that the pact was implemented, while commending President Tinubu for what he described as the political will to address longstanding challenges in the education sector.
The negotiation chairman also disclosed that discrepancies had been identified in parts of the agreement, assuring the unions that the issues would be addressed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
Earlier in their separate remarks, the National President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Comrade Shammah Kpanja; his counterpart at the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, Dr. Lawal Bazza; and the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Comrade Ibrahim Mohammed, commended the Federal Government for the speedy renegotiation of the agreement and the progress made in its implementation.
Kpanja described the process as the fastest in the history of the union’s negotiations, noting that talks began in December 2025 and culminated in the signing of the agreement in April 2026.
He disclosed that implementation had commenced, with members receiving outstanding arrears between July and September, but urged the government to ensure that all other provisions of the agreement were fully implemented.
He also welcomed the planned inauguration of a joint implementation committee, expressing hope that it would accelerate implementation before the end of the year.
Similarly, Bazza said the Colleges of Education subsector had already achieved more than 70 per cent implementation of the agreement, expressing confidence that the committee would help address the outstanding provisions.
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