Ondo State-Owned Universities Face Indefinite Shutdown as Unions Begin Strike

A comprehensive and indefinite industrial action has been announced by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of tertiary institutions owned by the Ondo State government. This decision, revealed on Tuesday, comes in response to the state government's alleged failure to uphold the Federal Government/Unions Agreement and remit due allowances to their members. Starting at midnight on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the strike will involve the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). Universities impacted include Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA); Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OAUSTECH); and the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED).

A formal notification, dated September 2, 2026, and endorsed by Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni, Chairman of JAC-ODSTI, and Comrade Kunle Akinwonmi, its Secretary, confirmed that the unions' decision was precipitated by the lapse of a 14-day ultimatum given to the state government to honour the agreement. Union representatives highlighted that the state government had previously declared a 60 percent boost in subventions for all its tertiary institutions, alongside approving the implementation of the FGN/Unions Agreement, effective August 2026. Yet, staff members contend that the government reneged on this pledge, asserting that institutions received the usual subvention for August, devoid of the promised 60 percent increment.

The unions have unequivocally labelled this turn of events as unacceptable. They argue that the government's inability to translate its pronouncements into concrete actions left them with no choice but to initiate the strike. The JAC declared, “It is crystal clear that the State Government is playing politics with our lives and wellbeing,” further emphasizing that “we have no other alternative than to embark on this industrial action after the expiration of the 14-Day Ultimatum given to the government to do the needful.”

Members of these unions have been instructed to cease all clerical, administrative, technical, clinical, and other essential services across the affected university campuses until their demands are fully addressed. A primary demand is the immediate and unconditional payment of the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTTA) and all other allowances stipulated in the agreement, covering the period from January 2026 up to the present. The JAC affirmed that the strike will persist until the state government resolves these outstanding matters, highlighting its members' resolve to ensure their demands are met.