Ondo Universities Leave N4.73bn Unspent As Students Protest Strike, Alleged Military Crackdown

The Ondo State Government failed to fully release and utilise N1.79 billion allocated to two state-owned universities in 2025, while the institutions recorded even lower budget implementation in the first half of 2026, leaving N4.73 billion of their combined allocations unspent by June.

The affected institutions are Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa.

According to the Ondo State Government’s 2025 fourth-quarter budget performance report, AAUA had a final allocation of N3.7 billion but recorded expenditure of N2.6775 billion, representing 72.4 per cent implementation and leaving N1.0225 billion unspent at the end of the year.

Similarly, OAUSTECH had a final 2025 allocation of N1.56 billion but spent only N796 million, representing 51 per cent implementation. The university consequently had N764 million of its allocation unspent.

Combined, the two universities received final budget allocations of N5.26 billion in 2025 but spent N3.4735 billion, leaving approximately N1.79 billion unspent.

The situation worsened in the first six months of 2026. AAUA was allocated N4.5 billion for the year but spent only N1.33875 billion between January and June.

Together, AAUA and OAUSTECH had a combined 2026 allocation of N6.4511 billion, but only N1.71675 billion had been spent by the end of the second quarter.

This left N4.73435 billion, representing approximately 73.4 per cent of their combined annual allocations, unspent at the half-year point.

AAUA’s unspent balance increased from N1.0225 billion at the end of 2025 to N3.16125 billion by June 2026, while OAUSTECH’s balance rose from N764 million to N1.5731 billion over the same period.

The figures have raised concerns over the pace of funding and implementation of approved allocations for the two institutions, coming amid an ongoing strike by university workers who accuse the state government of neglect and failure to honour agreements.

Students of AAUA have also protested the prolonged disruption of academic activities, with reports alleging that security personnel were deployed to disperse demonstrators who barricaded major roads around the university.

The protest was linked to industrial action involving the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), across state-owned tertiary institutions in Ondo State.

Video clips from the protest reportedly showed armed military personnel pursuing and dispersing students along roads around the campus. Some students were seen carrying placards with messages including “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” as they demanded an end to the strike, implementation of union agreements and payment of outstanding salary arrears.

Tolulope Adeyefa, the 18th General Secretary of the AAUA Students’ Union, condemned the alleged deployment of soldiers against the protesters and called on the state government to address the demands of the striking unions rather than resorting to force.

“The report that officers of the Nigerian Army disrupted the peaceful protest by students of AAUA earlier today against the continued failure of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to end the prolonged ASUU strike in the university is very condemnable,” Adeyefa said in a statement shared on Thursday.

Adeyefa, who shared videos showing military personnel confronting the protesters, commended the students for resisting what he described as intimidation.

The latest development has intensified concerns over funding, prolonged industrial action and the disruption of academic activities at Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions.