Reported by Musa Antiketu,| Journalist at Obaland magazine.
Workers in Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions are threatening fresh industrial action over the delayed implementation of the financial provisions of the 2025 Federal Government Academic Staff Union of Universities (FGN-ASUU) agreement, which took effect financially from January 1, 2026.
The development has heightened concerns over the stability of tertiary education in the state, coming amid separate disputes over unpaid salaries, allowances, minimum wage adjustments and funding for state-owned institutions.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Akure Zone, had in July warned that continued failure by the Ondo State Government to implement the agreement could trigger industrial action across the state’s tertiary institutions.
According to reports by TheCable, PUNCH Newspapers and ARISE News, ASUU accused the state government of delaying the implementation of key financial provisions of the agreement, including the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and Professorial Allowance.
ASUU Akure Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, said lecturers had yet to benefit from the relevant provisions months after the agreement became financially effective. The union argued that continued delays were affecting staff welfare, morale, research productivity and the overall quality of tertiary education.
The union consequently demanded immediate implementation of the agreement across Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions and payment of accumulated arrears dating back to January 1, 2026.
ASUU warned that failure to resolve the matter could compel it to activate lawful trade union measures, including industrial action.
However, the Ondo State Government has disputed the suggestion that it is ignoring the agreement. The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the government had already commenced steps toward implementation.
Ajibefun also noted that the agreement was negotiated between the Federal Government and ASUU and therefore required domestication by state governments. He said several states had yet to fully implement the agreement, while assuring that Ondo was working toward compliance.
The dispute has unfolded against a wider backdrop of labour tensions in Ondo’s tertiary education sector.
In February, the Joint Action Committee of Ondo State-Owned Tertiary Institutions (JAC-ODSTI), comprising unions including SANU, SSANP, NASU and NAAT, demanded full implementation of the state’s 2026 budget for tertiary institutions. The committee also raised concerns over salary arrears and the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
Separately, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic suspended industrial action in May after protesting over salary adjustments and minimum-wage implementation, while leaving open the possibility of renewed action if outstanding concerns were not addressed.
The situation escalated further in July when lecturers at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, commenced an indefinite strike over unpaid May and June 2026 salaries. PUNCH reported that the ASUU-AAUA chapter declared a total withdrawal of services until the outstanding salaries were paid.
The emerging disputes point to broader questions about the financial sustainability and administration of state-owned tertiary institutions in Nigeria. For students and their families, prolonged industrial disputes can result in disrupted academic calendars, delayed examinations and graduations, while institutions face potential setbacks in research, accreditation and staff retention.
For Ondo State, resolving the disagreement through sustained dialogue, transparent implementation timelines and verifiable payment arrangements could help prevent further disruption across its tertiary institutions.
As negotiations continue, attention remains focused on whether the state government will fully implement the applicable provisions of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement and address the broader welfare concerns raised by workers.
Sources
Ondo tertiary workers threaten fresh strike over delayed implementation of the 2026 FGN-ASUU agreement, allowances, salary arrears and staff welfare.
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