Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has approved an additional N148.762 million monthly subvention for Gombe State University as part of efforts to address outstanding obligations to academic staff and avert a looming industrial crisis at the institution.
The additional funding, which is expected to take effect from October 2026, is intended to support the implementation of the Enhanced Salary Structure, also known as the Consolidated Academic Tool Allowance (CATA).
The state government said the approval was part of its response to concerns arising from the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
According to the government, the additional allocation represents a 56 per cent increase in the university’s monthly subvention and is expected to strengthen the institution’s ability to meet its financial obligations to staff.
The Secretary to the Gombe State Government, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, disclosed the development in a statement issued by the Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Ismaila Uba Misilli.
Njodi said the additional funding would enable the university to make adequate provisions for the implementation of the new salary structure and improve its capacity to address staff-related financial commitments.
The state government also said the required provision would be included in the 2026 Supplementary Budget, which is expected to be presented to the Gombe State House of Assembly for consideration in September.
In a related development, Governor Yahaya directed the management of the university to immediately begin the process of paying outstanding CATA arrears owed to eligible academic staff.
The governor further instructed the institution to explore internal measures for gradually settling other outstanding obligations, including arrears relating to the 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage awards, the minimum wage and Earned Academic Allowances.
The government said the obligations would be addressed in phases, taking into account the university’s financial sustainability and the need to prevent disruption of academic activities.
The latest intervention comes amid growing concerns from the Gombe State University branch of ASUU over the implementation of agreements and the payment of outstanding entitlements.
The union had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state government, warning that it could embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike if its demands were not satisfactorily addressed.
The ASUU branch chairman, Dr Mustapha Shehu Muhammad, said the union’s grievances included the non-implementation of aspects of the 2025 ASUU-Federal Government agreement.
He also cited outstanding arrears relating to the N30,000 minimum wage, 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage awards, the N70,000 minimum wage and Earned Academic Allowances as issues requiring urgent attention.
With the governor’s approval of the additional subvention, the state government is seeking to address some of the concerns that have threatened industrial harmony at the university.
The intervention is also expected to provide the institution with greater financial stability as it works to meet its obligations to academic and non-academic staff.
Beyond the immediate funding arrangement, the state government said it was working towards establishing a more sustainable financing structure for education.
The Gombe State House of Assembly has passed legislation establishing the Gombe State Education Trust Fund, with operations expected to commence in October 2026.
The fund is designed to provide a more sustainable financing framework for education in the state, particularly Gombe State University and other state-owned tertiary institutions.
The government believes the initiative could strengthen funding for recurrent and developmental needs while creating a more dependable mechanism for addressing staff welfare and institutional requirements.
The development comes against the backdrop of broader concerns over the financing of public universities in Nigeria, where inadequate funding, staff welfare issues and disputes over salary and allowance payments have repeatedly contributed to industrial actions.
For Gombe State University, maintaining industrial peace will be crucial to ensuring uninterrupted academic activities and protecting students from the disruption associated with prolonged strikes.
The state government has therefore appealed to ASUU to take the latest measures and assurances into consideration, while reaffirming its commitment to resolving outstanding issues through dialogue.
It said it would continue engaging the university management, ASUU and other stakeholders to address areas of concern and strengthen industrial harmony.
The government also maintained that the welfare of staff and the continued development of the institution remained priorities of the Yahaya administration.
With the additional N148.762 million monthly subvention set to take effect from October, attention will now turn to the implementation of the approved funding and the extent to which it addresses the grievances of the university’s academic staff.
For students, parents and other stakeholders, a successful resolution of the dispute would help prevent another disruption to the academic calendar and ensure that teaching, research and other university activities continue without interruption.
The latest intervention is therefore being viewed as an important step towards addressing the immediate financial challenges facing Gombe State University, although sustained engagement between the government and university unions will remain essential to achieving lasting industrial stability.