Over 200 professors, academics leave KASU over poor conditions – ASUU
Over 200 Academic Staff Depart Kaduna State University Amid Unmet Agreement Terms
KADUNA – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University (KASU) Chapter, has announced that more than 200 professors and academic staff have left the institution, citing poor conditions of service and the non-implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement as key factors.
In response to this situation, the union has issued a two-week ultimatum to university authorities and relevant stakeholders to initiate full implementation and domestication of the agreement. Failure to comply could result in a total and indefinite strike, union officials warned.
Abubakar Abdullahi, chairman of ASUU-KASU, delivered the warning during a press conference held on Monday at the union’s secretariat within the university. He noted that the 2025 agreement, designed to improve conditions of service for academic staff in Nigerian universities, took effect in January 2026, yet KASU has yet to begin its implementation.
“The union has communicated repeatedly with the university management, Governing Council, and the Visitor to the university, the Governor of Kaduna State, urging them to domesticate and implement the agreement as required by the law establishing the institution,” Abdullahi said.
Despite ongoing discussions with stakeholders both locally and externally, Abdullahi expressed frustration that eight months have passed since the agreement was signed, while most federal universities and several state universities have either begun implementing the agreement or provided timelines for doing so, including payment of accrued arrears.
The prolonged delay has positioned KASU’s academic staff among the lowest-paid university workers in the country, undermining the university’s previously strong reputation for prioritizing staff welfare.
Abdullahi cautioned that continued inaction may lead to the accumulation of salary arrears dating back to January 2026, further exacerbating the financial strain on staff.
He also highlighted that the challenging conditions have contributed to the loss of experienced personnel, which could take years for the university to recover from.
The ASUU-KASU Congress convened on August 12 and resolved to declare an industrial dispute and pursue a comprehensive and indefinite strike, following a similar resolution by the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU during a meeting at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9.
The two-week ultimatum aligns with established industrial dispute protocols, providing the university authorities with an opportunity to address the full implementation and domestication of the agreement.
Additionally, ASUU-KASU identified several outstanding local issues affecting its members, including university autonomy, excessive workload, promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance coverage, wage awards, and pension remittances.
The union called on university management and other relevant authorities to treat these issues with urgency to avert industrial disharmony and maintain peace at the institution. ASUU-KASU also appealed to parents, stakeholders, and other concerned Nigerians to assist in resolving the situation and prevent an impending strike.
