By Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
The Yobe State Government has taken another major step toward strengthening higher education, receiving a comprehensive report recommending improved welfare packages and better remuneration for academic staff in the state’s tertiary institutions.
The report, prepared by a Fact-Finding Committee established by Governor Mai Mala Buni, was officially presented to the Acting Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Mohammed Goje, who reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to improving lecturers’ welfare and sustaining academic excellence across state-owned institutions.
Receiving the document on behalf of the government, Dr. Goje praised the committee for its professionalism, dedication, and thoroughness in carrying out the assignment. He stressed that Governor Buni remains committed to repositioning higher education through policies that promote staff welfare, strengthen institutional governance, and enhance the quality of teaching, research, and innovation.
He assured that the government would carefully study the committee’s recommendations with a view to implementing practical and sustainable reforms that would improve the working conditions of academic staff while consolidating the gains already recorded in the education sector.
Dr. Goje noted that the Buni administration has consistently prioritised education through the construction of modern learning facilities, staff development programmes, scholarship schemes, and strategic investments designed to transform tertiary education in Yobe State.
Presenting the report, the committee’s Chairman, Professor Muhammad Bello Kawuwa, represented by Professor Mohammed Musa Lawan, said members carried out extensive study visits to Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU), Bauchi State; Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano State; and Kaduna State University (KASU).
According to him, the committee consulted university managements, academic staff unions, and other critical stakeholders while examining remuneration systems, staff welfare policies, funding models, governance structures, and global best practices in university administration.
Among its major recommendations, the committee urged the state government to implement the 2025 Federal Government/Academic Staff Union of Universities (FGN/ASUU) agreement covering the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), Conference Attendance and Training Allowance (CATA), and Professorial Allowance to boost staff morale, curb brain drain, and retain highly qualified lecturers.
The report also recommended the payment of outstanding allowances, provision of research grants, implementation of annual salary increments, and other incentives aimed at improving staff retention and enhancing the competitiveness of Yobe State-owned tertiary institutions.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the committee advised the government to maintain adequate funding for tertiary institutions while encouraging universities to diversify their revenue through commercial ventures, strategic investments, and other innovative financing initiatives.
It further proposed the development of a comprehensive Yobe State Tertiary Education Policy to strengthen governance, promote financial accountability, improve institutional management, and provide a sustainable framework for the administration of state-owned universities.
The committee also recommended that the government continue to shoulder electricity costs for tertiary institutions, in line with practices observed in comparable state-owned universities during the study tour.
Professor Lawan commended Governor Buni for what he described as the remarkable transformation of Yobe’s education sector through sustained investments in infrastructure, staff capacity development, and reforms aimed at raising the standard of higher education. He also expressed appreciation to the governor for the confidence reposed in the committee and the opportunity to undertake the assignment.
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