Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology Embroiled in Indefinite Strike Over Delayed Salaries

The Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora has been plunged into an indefinite strike by its staff due to persistent issues with fractional and delayed salary payments.

The strike, which commenced on July 1, 2025, is a culmination of failed appeals by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to the management of the institution.

Despite a 25% increase in the institution's monthly subvention since January 2025, to reflect the new national minimum wage, and a 100% increase in school fees for new intakes, staff members have continued to face financial hardship due to delayed and partial payment of salaries. The management has attributed the inability to pay full salaries to insufficient funds, even with the increased subvention and internally generated revenue.

The unions, comprising the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), are calling on the Oyo State Government, led by Governor Seyi Makinde, to intervene and review the monthly subvention to the college. They argue that this is necessary to ease the hardship faced by staff and improve the current poor condition of service.

The strike highlights the challenges faced by tertiary institutions in Oyo State, with OYSCATECH being the only institution consistently facing this challenge. The unions have expressed worry over the growing backlog of unpaid allowances, promotion arrears, and other entitlements, and are seeking urgent government intervention to resolve the crisis .