The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has renewed calls for a sustainable research funding framework that would allocate at least 1% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to university research, innovation, and development.
The demand was reiterated on Wednesday in Abuja by ASUU President, Chris Pinuwa, during the formal unveiling of the 2025 re-negotiated agreement between the Federal Government and the union. According to him, decades of underinvestment in research have significantly weakened Nigeria’s higher education system and reduced its global competitiveness.
Chronic underfunding of research
Pinuwa said Nigerian universities have long struggled with inadequate research financing, limiting their ability to drive innovation, industrial development, and knowledge production.
“Nigerian universities have faced paucity of research funding for a very long time, and I am glad that research and development funding is a component of the 2025 ASUU–FG re-negotiated agreement,” he said.
He explained that the agreement provides for the transmission of the National Research Council Bill to the National Assembly for legislative consideration. If passed, the bill would institutionalise a funding mechanism that earmarks at least 1% of GDP annually for research, innovation, and development.
“The proposed bill shall provide for at least 1% equivalent of GDP as a source of funding for research, innovation and development. It is my belief that members of the National Assembly will expedite action on its passage,” Pinuwa added.
Governance and autonomy concerns
Beyond funding, the ASUU president raised concerns over what he described as persistent governance weaknesses in Nigeria’s university system. While university autonomy is recognised in principle and partially backed by law, he said implementation remains weak, allowing continued external interference in university affairs.
He cited the frequent dissolution of governing councils and undue interference in the appointment of vice-chancellors as practices that undermine meritocracy and institutional stability. According to him, such actions often lead to internal crises, litigation, staff polarisation, and prolonged disruptions to academic activities.
Pinuwa also warned against the growing trend of prolonged acting vice-chancellorships in some institutions, stressing that weak oversight of governing councils and principal officers threatens the integrity of the university system.
Standards in new universities under scrutiny
The ASUU president further criticised promotion practices in some newly established federal universities of education. He alleged that due process and established criteria for professorial appointments were being compromised in some cases.
According to him, the conversion of colleges of education into universities should not translate into a dilution of academic standards. He warned that erosion of promotion benchmarks and governance norms could have lasting consequences for the credibility of Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Pinuwa called on vice-chancellors and governing councils of affected institutions to urgently review questionable promotions and administrative practices, stressing that safeguarding standards and strengthening autonomy are as critical as securing sustainable research funding.
What you should know
The newly unveiled agreement concludes the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU–FG agreement and is designed to address long-standing issues around funding, welfare, and stability in Nigeria’s university system.
Key provisions include a review of academic staff remuneration, approved by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, and scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026. Under the agreement, academic staff salaries will increase by 40%, delivered through a consolidated academic tools allowance built into the salary structure to support research, publications, conferences, and related activities.
Previously earned academic allowances have also been restructured to improve transparency and accountability, while a new professorial credit allowance has been introduced for professors and academic readers to support research and administrative responsibilities.
ASUU maintains that without a GDP-linked research funding framework, Nigeria’s universities will continue to lag behind peers in Africa and globally, regardless of salary and welfare improvements.
Emmanuel Bassey is a Financial Expert that has worked in the Banking and Finance Industry for over 15+ years across different banks in Nigeria
