FG, ASUU AGREE ON 100% PENSION FOR RETIRED PROFESSORS, FIX RETIREMENT AGE AT 70
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Retired professors in recognised public universities across Nigeria will now be entitled to pension benefits equivalent to their annual salaries, following a new agreement reached between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The agreement provides that any academic staff member who retires at the rank of professor will receive a pension calculated at 100 per cent of his or her annual salary, marking a major improvement in post-service welfare for senior academics. However, eligibility is limited to professors who served continuously in a recognised university until attaining the mandatory retirement age.
According to the 35-page document, obtained, the retirement age for the professorial cadre has been fixed at 70 years. Section 3.6 of the agreement states: “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 who spoke at the unveiling of the agreement on Wednesday in Abuja said the provisions were designed to reward decades of teaching, research and administrative service by professors, boost morale in the university system, encourage career progression and help curb the growing brain drain, popularly known as the “Japa syndrome.”
In 2025, ASUU had raised concerns that no fewer than 309 professors exited Nigeria’s public university system within one month, highlighting the urgency of improved welfare conditions.
The agreement also introduced improved non-salary benefits. Under Section 3.4, qualified female academic staff are now entitled to six months maternity leave, in line with existing Public Service Rules.
Another major highlight of the pact is the introduction of a Professorial Cadre Allowance for full-time professors and readers. Under the new structure, professors will receive N1.74 million annually (N140,000 monthly), while readers will earn N840,000 per annum (N70,000 monthly). The allowance, which excludes part-time academics, is aimed at supporting research coordination, academic documentation and administrative efficiency.
Speaking at the presentation of the renegotiated agreement, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the pact as a historic turning point that symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence and a commitment to uninterrupted academic calendars in Nigerian universities.
Alausa said the agreement reflected President Bola Tinubu’s resolve to prioritise education as the foundation of national development, noting that it marked the first time a sitting president had taken full ownership of long-standing challenges facing the university system.
“For decades, unresolved remuneration issues, welfare gaps and recurring industrial disputes disrupted academic calendars and undermined staff morale,” the minister said, adding that the current administration chose dialogue over discord and reform over delay.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to faithful implementation of the agreement and sustained engagement with ASUU under the Renewed Hope Agenda, describing the pact as a durable framework for industrial harmony in federal tertiary institutions.
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