By Chondol Faith
The Federal Government has approved the release of ₦2.3 billion to offset outstanding salary and promotion arrears owed to university lecturers across the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this development while giving an update on the government’s ongoing engagements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary institution unions.
According to Dr. Alausa, President Bola Tinubu remains committed to resolving all lingering welfare and funding issues in a transparent and sustainable manner. He explained that the ₦2.311 billion—representing Batch 8 of salary and promotion arrears—was released through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
“Benefiting institutions should begin to receive payment alerts anytime from now,” Alausa stated, adding that the funds were processed under the supervision of the OAGF as part of efforts to clear inherited financial obligations from previous administrations.
He also revealed that the Ministry of Finance and the OAGF are finalizing the release of non-statutory deductions and pending pension remittances, which are expected to be completed in the coming days.
In a major policy shift, the minister announced that beginning from 2026, the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) will be fully integrated into university staff salaries. This move, he said, will eliminate delays that often trigger industrial disputes and ensure that such allowances are “prompt, predictable, and sustainable.”
Dr. Alausa further noted that additional funds have been disbursed under the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities scheme, with new budgetary allocations to guarantee continuity of the intervention.
This announcement comes just days after ASUU suspended its two-week warning strike following what the union described as “useful and encouraging engagements” with government officials, particularly after the intervention of the National Assembly leadership.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, said the union’s decision to suspend the strike was based on renewed commitments from the government to address their longstanding concerns over welfare and funding.
The latest payment, according to education observers, marks another step by the Tinubu administration toward rebuilding trust and stability in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
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