The Enugu State Government has approved an increase in the minimum wage for staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) from N32,000 to N82,000 monthly, effective September 1, 2026.
The approval was contained in a letter dated August 11, 2026, signed by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, and addressed to the Accountant General of the state. According to the letter, the decision followed a report submitted by the Joint Action Committee on Trade Union (JACTU) at ESUT concerning issues surrounding a one-month strike ultimatum issued by the university’s unions.
The government also approved an across-the-board salary increase of N50,000 for all other categories of staff at the university. The Secretary to the State Government directed the Accountant General to fully implement the approval of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. The directive referenced an earlier Government House letter dated August 7, 2026.
A copy of the letter was also sent to the Vice-Chancellor of ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, for information and necessary action. Speaking on the development at the 278th Regular Meeting of the University Senate on Wednesday, Okolie said the university was continuing discussions with the state government to secure improved welfare for its staff.
He disclosed that governors in the South-East had agreed to provide at least a 20 per cent salary increase for workers in state-owned universities across the region, noting that individual governors could approve increases above the benchmark.
While thanking Governor Mbah for implementing the N80,000 minimum wage and for his interventions in infrastructure and academic development at the university, the vice-chancellor urged union leaders to allow the management to conclude its ongoing negotiations with the state government on staff welfare.
