The Ondo State Government says it has paid the outstanding balance of the increased August subventions to the state’s four tertiary institutions, in a move aimed at addressing a dispute that has disrupted activities at the institutions.

The government said the payment was made on Thursday, 3 September, as part of the implementation of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s decision to increase monthly subventions to the institutions by 60%.

The payment comes at a critical point for the state’s higher education sector. Workers at some of the institutions began industrial action this week after unions said the promised increase and other parts of a Federal Government-unions agreement had not been implemented.

In a statement, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the latest payment marked the “commencement of the implementation of the 60% increment on subventions”.

Governor Aiyedatiwa has also appealed to the striking unions to end the industrial action.

The governor said he was asking the unions to “in good faith, call off the strike and return to work in the interest of our students and the overall development of the state.”

Why the payment matters

The four state-owned institutions are Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko; Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa; University of Medical Sciences, Ondo; and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. State planning documents have previously identified these as the four tertiary institutions owned by the Ondo government.

The dispute is not simply about an increase in government funding.

University workers have also demanded implementation of provisions contained in the 2025 Federal Government-university unions agreement, including outstanding allowances.

That dispute has already affected students, who face further disruption if the unions maintain their strike.

How the dispute started

Governor Aiyedatiwa announced on 17 August that he had approved a 60% increase in monthly subventions for all state-owned tertiary institutions.

He also approved the immediate implementation of the agreement between the Federal Government and university unions, with both measures announced as taking effect from August.

But the announcement did not immediately end the industrial dispute.

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members at Adekunle Ajasin University and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology said the government’s announcement did not resolve their outstanding demands. ASUU had earlier raised concerns about delays in implementing the 2025 agreement.

At OAUSTECH, ASUU said it would continue its strike until the outstanding issues were addressed. The union also argued that some provisions should take effect from January 2026 rather than August.

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Unions later escalated action

The latest development followed an indefinite strike declared by non-teaching unions.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), acting under the Joint Action Committee of Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions, began industrial action after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum.

The unions alleged that the institutions received their old subventions for August despite the government’s announcement of a 60% increase. They also demanded payment of outstanding allowances dating back to January 2026.

The government has now said it has paid the August arrears balance.

However, the statement does not provide the amount paid to each institution, the total value of the arrears or details of the transaction. It also does not state whether the payment covers all the financial demands raised by the unions.

Those details will matter in determining whether the latest payment resolves the dispute or only addresses one part of it.

What happens next?

The immediate question is whether the unions will accept the government’s payment as sufficient to suspend the strike.

Government’s appeal for workers to return to work is not, on its own, evidence that the industrial dispute has been resolved.

The unions will need to confirm whether the payment meets their demands, while the government and institution managements will need to demonstrate how the increased subvention and outstanding allowances will be implemented.

For students, the outcome could determine whether academic and administrative activities resume or face further disruption.

The wider issue is also one of accountability. If the 60% increase is intended to improve salary payments and institutional finances, the government and institutions will need to show that the additional funds reach those areas and produce measurable improvements.

For now, the state government says it has taken another financial step towards implementing its August commitment. The next test will be whether that payment is enough to bring the striking unions back to work.

The president of the Remo Secondary School Old Students Association (RSSOSA), Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, has praised the association’s UK branch for supporting students and infrastructure at the school as he marks the 60th birthday of its national vice-president, Damola Aiyeola.

Aare Emmanuelking said Aiyeola’s leadership had helped turn alumni support into practical interventions at Remo Secondary School in Sagamu, Ogun State.

The claims were contained in a birthday message issued to mark Aiyeola’s 60th birthday.

RSSOSA said the UK branch had renovated classrooms it had adopted at the school, donated learning materials to students and supported holiday tutorials for Senior Secondary School 3 pupils.

The association also said the tutorial programme included donations of textbooks and sanitary pads.

Why the alumni projects matter

Alumni associations often play an important role in supporting public schools, particularly where government funding does not meet all infrastructure and learning needs.

Remo Secondary School has previously relied on old students to support its development. In 2016, The Guardian reported that RSSOSA appealed for financial support because the school needed more resources to cope with its age and student population.

The association’s own website says RSSOSA was established after the first set of students graduated from the school and describes the school as the first co-educational school in West Africa.

The association also held an extraordinary meeting in June 2024 at which it reviewed its 2022-24 performance and discussed its plans for the school’s development.

Those earlier commitments make the latest claims about classroom renovation, learning materials and student support relevant beyond  Aiyeola’s birthday.

They raise a wider question about how effectively alumni interventions are being measured and whether projects are reaching students who need them most.

What Emmanuelking said

Aare Emmanuelking described Aiyeola as a family man, leader and old student committed to service.

He said  Aiyeola’s contribution went beyond holding an executive position in the UK branch and included efforts to improve student welfare and support the development of the school.

The president also praised the UK branch’s interventions as examples of what old students could do for their former school.

He said the initiatives reflected the responsibility alumni had to give back to the institution that educated them.

Aare Emmanuelking also prayed for Aiyeola’s health, protection, prosperity and continued ability to contribute to RSSOSA and Remo Secondary School.

RSSOSA’s website confirms the association’s existence and lists activities and events involving Remo Secondary School. Its events page also records the school’s 80th Founders’ Day anniversary in February 2026.

The association has also publicly documented its focus on the school’s development. Its website carries a 2023 documentary about efforts to transform the school and references a long-term development plan.

More recently, reports from July 2026 said Remo Secondary School held a university-style graduation for its 2026 class and that about 25 students received tertiary education scholarships from the Hope Bridge Social Impact Foundation.

What happens next

For students and parents, the immediate significance of the reported interventions lies in whether they improve classroom conditions, access to learning materials and preparation for examinations.

For RSSOSA, the challenge is to demonstrate that alumni projects produce measurable and sustained benefits rather than remaining one-off interventions.

Aiyeola’s 60th birthday has therefore become an occasion for RSSOSA to highlight the wider role of its diaspora members in supporting the school.

The next stage will be to establish the scale and impact of the reported projects and whether similar interventions will continue beyond the birthday celebrations.

Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, has welcomed the Ondo State Government’s reported decision to increase monthly subventions to state-owned tertiary institutions by 60%.

The university also said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had approved the implementation of the 2026 Federal Government and unions agreements affecting the institutions.

OAUSTECH Vice-Chancellor, Prof Temi Ologunorisa, described the decisions as significant interventions for tertiary education in the state.

However, the university did not disclose the previous or new monthly subvention figures. It also did not provide details of the specific agreements covered by the approval or a timetable for implementation.

What has the government approved?

According to OAUSTECH, the governor approved a 60% increase in monthly funding to all state-owned tertiary institutions in Ondo State.

The university said the additional funding would support teaching, research and staff and student welfare.

Ologunorisa also linked the approval of the Federal Government-unions agreements to industrial stability in the state’s tertiary institutions.

“This demonstrates Your Excellency’s commitment to education and human capital development in Ondo State. OAUSTECH remains committed to supporting the OUR EASE Agenda of your administration,” the VC stated.

The statement did not give the total financial value of the increased subvention or explain how the state government plans to fund the additional spending.

Those details will matter because a 60% increase in a relatively small existing allocation could still leave institutions facing significant funding gaps.

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Why the agreement matters

The announcement comes as Nigeria’s university system enters a new phase of implementing a renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The federal agreement, concluded in late 2025 and formally signed in January 2026, followed a renegotiation process that began after the previous 2009 agreement became due for review in 2012. The new agreement took effect from January 2026.

The agreement includes a 40% increase in academic staff pay, improved pension provisions and new funding arrangements for areas such as research, laboratories, libraries and staff development.

The Federal Government inaugurated a monitoring committee in June to oversee implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement. The committee includes government and ASUU representatives.

That national development provides important context for Ondo State institutions. State universities must manage their own funding and labour obligations, even though the federal agreement influences expectations across Nigeria’s university system.

The implementation question

Approval alone does not guarantee that the additional funding or agreements will translate into improved conditions.

A recent national assessment illustrates the challenge. The Guardian reported in August that only 10 state-owned institutions had complied with the 40% salary increase under the new agreement, while 57 state universities remained affected by uneven implementation.

The experience has also prompted concerns about whether governments can meet their financial commitments to university workers.

ASUU welcomed the new federal agreement earlier this year but raised concerns about its implementation, citing Nigeria’s history of delayed or incomplete execution of agreements.

For Ondo State, the key test will therefore be whether the new funding reaches institutions consistently and whether the approved agreements translate into payments and improved working conditions.

What does it mean for students?

Students are unlikely to see an immediate direct financial benefit simply because institutional subventions increase.

The potential benefit lies in what universities do with the additional resources.

Better funding could help institutions maintain laboratories and other facilities, support research, improve teaching resources and address staff welfare pressures.

It could also reduce the likelihood of disruptions if the additional funding helps institutions meet their obligations to workers.

But those outcomes depend on how the money is allocated and monitored.

OAUSTECH said the approval had helped avert potential industrial action and restore stability across Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions.

That is the university’s assessment, rather than an independently verified account of the position of all unions or institutions in the state. No union statement accompanied the announcement.

Part of a wider education agenda

Governor Aiyedatiwa has previously placed education and human capital development among the seven pillars of his “OUR EASE” agenda.

At his inauguration in February 2025, he pledged increased investment in education, including critical infrastructure and human resources in schools and tertiary institutions.

His administration has since announced several education interventions, including increased subventions for state-owned higher institutions, bursary support and investment in school infrastructure. In November 2025, the state government said it had increased its student bursary from N10,000 to N20,000.

The administration has also reported more than 80 school construction and renovation projects across the state’s 18 local government areas.

The latest announcement therefore continues an existing policy direction rather than representing the first education intervention under the administration.

What happens next?

The immediate issue is implementation.

The Ondo State Government would need to clarify the new subvention figures, when the 60% increase takes effect and the specific financial commitments contained in the approved agreements.

The state could also face pressure to demonstrate that the increased allocation improves measurable outcomes in teaching, research, infrastructure and staff welfare.

For students and staff at OAUSTECH and other state-owned institutions, the value of the announcement will ultimately depend less on the approval itself and more on whether the promised funds are released and translated into sustained improvements.