Workers at Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), Ikere-Ekiti, have warned that they may embark on industrial action over what they described as deteriorating staff welfare, inadequate government funding and the absence of capital grants since the institution was established.
The warning was issued on Wednesday by the Joint Action Committee of the university’s Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and National Association of Academic Technologists.
The unions said the financial challenges confronting the Ekiti State-owned institution had become increasingly difficult to manage, blaming the situation largely on what they described as the failure of the state government to review the university’s monthly subvention in line with its growing responsibilities.
They also complained that the university had never received a capital grant from the Ekiti State Government since its creation in 2020, leaving it heavily dependent on interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and students’ school fees to support development.
Speaking during a joint press conference in Ikere-Ekiti, BOUESTI SSANU Chairman, Tope Babalola, said repeated engagements with the university management had not produced the desired results, while attempts to secure an audience with the state government had also failed to resolve the concerns raised by the workers.
Babalola said the unions had reached a point where remaining silent was no longer an option, warning that the unresolved issues could eventually force workers to withdraw their services.
The unions argued that the financial support being provided to the university had not kept pace with the resources available to the Ekiti State Government. They expressed concern that increases in federal allocations accruing to the state had not been accompanied by a corresponding improvement in the subvention provided to BOUESTI.
According to the workers, the institution requires greater financial support to meet its obligations, particularly following the implementation of the signed 2025/2026 salary agreement covering academic and non-academic staff.
The agreement, they said, had significantly increased the university’s wage bill, making the existing monthly subvention even less adequate for meeting its financial responsibilities.
Babalola appealed directly to Governor Biodun Oyebanji to review the university’s monthly subvention upward, arguing that the present funding arrangement did not adequately reflect the institution’s financial obligations or its developmental needs.
He said the request had become urgent because the university was simultaneously dealing with staff welfare requirements, increased personnel costs and infrastructure needs.
The unions also questioned the continued reliance on TETFund and students’ fees as major sources of development funding. While acknowledging the contribution of TETFund to the university, they maintained that federal intervention could not replace the statutory responsibility of the state government as the owner of the institution.
Babalola said BOUESTI had relied on TETFund interventions and students’ school fees for development since its establishment in 2020, but argued that such funding sources could not independently provide the level of sustained investment required to develop the university.
He maintained that the university could not achieve substantial development if it continued to depend principally on students’ fees and external interventions while the state government did not provide capital funding.
The unions therefore called for direct intervention by the state government, insisting that the institution required a stronger financial foundation if it was to meet its educational responsibilities and improve conditions for both staff and students.
Another issue raised by the workers concerned commitments they said had previously been made by the governor to the university.
The unions appealed to Oyebanji to fulfil promises relating to the construction of internal roads within the institution and the furnishing of the Senate Building donated to BOUESTI by its Chancellor, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN.
Babalola said fulfilling those commitments would contribute to the development of the university and improve its ability to operate effectively.
The workers’ concerns extend beyond salary payments, with the unions linking staff welfare to the broader financial condition of the institution. They argued that inadequate funding affects the university’s ability to sustain its workforce, improve infrastructure and provide an environment capable of supporting effective teaching, research and administration.
The JAC said the situation should not be treated as an isolated labour dispute but as an issue concerning the sustainability of a state-owned higher institution established in 2020.
The unions also challenged the state government to match its public recognition of achievements in the education sector with sustained investment in the institutions responsible for delivering those achievements.
They argued that government commitment to education should not be measured only by the achievements recorded in the sector or the construction of individual projects, but also by the ability to maintain institutions, provide adequate infrastructure and ensure acceptable welfare for the workers who operate them.
The workers warned that continued failure to address their concerns could lead to a complete shutdown of activities at the university.
They said they would have no option but to “down tools” if the state government failed to take concrete steps toward resolving the issues, stressing that any industrial action would be total and conducted in accordance with the unions’ established rules of engagement.
The warning represents an escalation in the unions’ position after what they described as unsuccessful engagements with the university management and unsuccessful attempts to obtain a direct audience with the state government.
Babalola said the workers had already exhausted the option of remaining silent about the problems they believed were affecting the institution. The unions are now calling for urgent government intervention before the situation reaches the point of industrial action.
A central demand is the upward review of BOUESTI’s monthly subvention. The unions believe increased government funding is necessary to accommodate the financial implications of the 2025/2026 salary agreement and other obligations facing the institution.
They also want the government to provide capital funding rather than leaving development largely to TETFund interventions and students’ fees.
The workers further linked the issue to the broader responsibility of government to sustain public education institutions. In their view, increased federal resources available to Ekiti State should create room for a corresponding increase in financial support for the university.
The unions said the university’s ability to discharge its responsibilities effectively depends on adequate and predictable funding. Without such support, they warned, pressure would continue to build on workers and the institution’s capacity to maintain its operations and pursue development.
They also stressed the wider importance of education to the state’s long-term development, describing the people produced through the education system as a lasting legacy that extends beyond the tenure of any administration.
According to the workers, governments may construct roads and buildings during their tenure, but the human capital produced by a functioning education system remains an enduring contribution to society.
They therefore urged the Ekiti State Government to treat the challenges facing BOUESTI with the seriousness they deserve and act before the threatened industrial action becomes unavoidable.
For now, the unions are seeking an immediate response from Governor Oyebanji on their demands, particularly the proposed increase in monthly subvention, provision of capital funding, implementation of previously announced commitments and improvement of staff welfare.
The unions said resolving those issues would not only avert a potential shutdown but would also strengthen the university’s capacity to fulfil its educational mandate.
However, they made clear that if the concerns remain unresolved, workers are prepared to invoke the “rule of engagement” and withdraw their services in what they described as a total industrial action.
Ekiti Varsity Workers Threaten Total Strike Over Poor Welfare, Inadequate Funding
