The Enugu State Government has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) chapter, to suspend its ongoing strike and return to the classrooms following a fresh N115 million increase in the university’s monthly subvention.

The government said Governor Peter Mbah approved the additional funding to enable the university to meet its financial obligations, particularly to its workers, and to support the implementation of the salary agreement reached between ASUU and the Federal Government.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this in a statement, explaining that the latest intervention would raise the state government’s monthly subvention to ESUT from N161 million to N276 million.

Onyia appealed to the striking lecturers to reciprocate the government’s intervention by suspending the industrial action and resuming academic activities in the students’ interest.

“We appeal to ASUU-ESUT to reciprocate this gesture by resuming academic activities, while all outstanding issues are addressed through constructive dialogue. Our students should not be made to bear the consequences of disagreements that can be resolved amicably,” he said.

The SSG said the latest increase represented a cumulative N140 million increase in the government’s monthly support to ESUT since February 2026, describing it as a demonstration of the Mbah administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare and uninterrupted education.

He explained that before February, the state government provided N136 million monthly to ESUT, but introduced an additional N25 million intervention specifically for the ESUT College of Medicine (ESUCOM) to support the payment of 120 additional staff, bringing the monthly subvention to N161 million.

According to him, the newly approved N115 million increase will raise the total monthly subvention to N276 million, substantially strengthening the university’s capacity to meet its obligations.

“Governor Mbah has demonstrated once again that his administration places the welfare of workers and the uninterrupted education of our young people at the heart of its priorities,” Onyia said.

He added that the additional funding was a “substantial commitment of public resources” aimed at strengthening ESUT and ensuring the institution could meet its obligations to staff and students.

The SSG further said the intervention would help the university achieve the salary agreement reached between ASUU and the Federal Government.

While appealing for an end to the strike, Onyia urged ASUU and the university management to continue engaging in dialogue to resolve outstanding issues.

He said the government was concerned about the disruption to the academic calendar and the strike’s effect on students, stressing that their education should not suffer because of disputes that could be resolved through constructive engagement.

Onyia reaffirmed Governor Mbah’s commitment to the sustained development of ESUT and assured the university community that the state government would continue to support the institution within available resources.

He urged ASUU, the university management, and other stakeholders to work together to restore uninterrupted academic activities at ESUT, saying the ultimate objective should be to provide students with quality, uninterrupted education.