By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed frustration over the federal government’s handling of the renegotiated agreement on Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), warning that lecturers may soon embark on industrial action.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, made the remarks during an interview on Thursday. He accused the federal ministry of education of failing to properly implement parts of the agreement reached with the union.
The federal government had signed a renegotiated agreement with ASUU on January 14 after years of disputes and strike actions across public universities. The negotiations were concluded in December 2025.
Despite the agreement, several federal universities have recorded delays in salary payments since February. The development has sparked complaints from ASUU branches across the country.
Piwuna said university lecturers are no longer comfortable with the situation, especially the non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances, which he said has lasted for 18 months.
“Our members across the branches feel the pinch, so their responses are expected,” he said.
“The federal ministry of education has gone to sleep. We intend to wake them up. When the drums start beating, be sure of what will follow.”
The ASUU president also faulted the government for allegedly shifting responsibility for the allowances to vice-chancellors.
“We agreed that EAA should be mainstreamed to address the problem of accumulated arrears. They are back to the mess of EAA arrears again,” he said.
He added that although the government announced professional allowances for lecturers, some university authorities still struggle to pay them.
“Our promotion arrears have been waiting for the approval of the minister of finance. Now they say the new minister has to settle down. We are tired of your tactics. We are fed up,” the ASUU president maintained.
Piwuna further stated that the agreement reached with the government required the EAA to be incorporated into lecturers’ salaries from January, but this has not happened.
“We are literally back to the Ngige era of never-ending EAA renegotiation,” he said.
“The truth is that we have not received it (EAA) for 18 months.
“It was mainstreamed in the 2025 budget. They did not implement it. This current minister said it would start in January this year. Nothing.”
He explained that the December 2025 agreement included additional allowances for lecturers.
“After signing the December 2025 agreement, we had three allowances added to our salary — 40 percent covering things like journal allowance, conference allowance, book allowance, et cetera,” he said.
“Then we have the professorial allowance. Then a percentage of EAA into our monthly salary.
“All these have been implemented in the most haphazard manner you could ever imagine.”
