The Federal Ministry of Education has written to the vice chancellors of federal universities, through the National Universities Commission, demanding detailed figures for outstanding promotion arrears, salaries, third-party deductions, and pension arrears.

The directive was contained in a memo signed by the Deputy Director, Universities at the FME, J.N. Akpa.

This move followed an announcement by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, that N2.3bn had been released for the payment of outstanding promotion arrears owed to lecturers.

The memo specifies: “I am directed to convey the HME’s directive that all vice chancellors of federal universities are requested to supply the following information: the outstanding promotion arrears, salaries and third-party deductions and pension arrears figures.”

It further states that the information is required to “furnish the Nigerian University Pension Management Company with the necessary details to facilitate payments.”

Universities were instructed to prepare the data in a tabular Excel format and submit both hard and soft copies to the office of the Executive Secretary of the NUC.

In a statement released last week by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, the education minister, Alausa, noted that the N2.3bn payment represents Batch 8 of the salary and promotion arrears processed via the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Alausa said the disbursement reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to resolving long-standing welfare issues in the tertiary education sector transparently and sustainably.

“A total of N2.31bn, representing Batch 8 salary and promotion arrears, has been released…Benefiting institutions should begin to receive payment alerts anytime from now,” the minister had said.

He added that the Federal Government was also finalising the release of third-party non-statutory deductions and pension remittances, which is expected to be completed in the coming days.

To ensure predictable and timely payments moving forward, Alausa announced that the government had approved the full mainstreaming of the Earned Academic Allowance into university staff salaries beginning in 2026.

Additionally, funds have been released under the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities initiative, with fresh budgetary provisions secured to sustain it.

“The Federal Ministry of Education assures that these engagements are being conducted truthfully and in good faith,” Alausa stated.

This development addresses some of the core issues in the prolonged standoff between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government.

ASUU recently suspended a two-week warning strike following interventions by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Assembly.

ASUU’s key demands that remain outstanding include the payment of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, the provision of revitalisation funds for universities, the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU–FG Agreement, and the clearance of promotion arrears and cooperative deductions.

The most recent renegotiation committee, chaired by Yayale Ahmed, submitted its report in December 2024, but its implementation has yet to commence.

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof

Two leading books on electronic evidence by Hon. Justice Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Rtd., PhD, FICMC, are now available for purchase. The publications, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition), With The Evidence Act, 2011 and Compendium Of Cases On Electronic Evidence, Volume II, 2020–2025, provide practical guidance, legal analysis and recent judicial authorities on electronic evidence in Nigeria.Order directly from the author here: https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/ _______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion. Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. _______________________________________________________________________