The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Kaduna State University, KASU, chapter, has raised the alarm over the departure of more than 200 lecturers from the institution, warning that the situation could further undermine academic activities.
Chairman of ASUU-KASU, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Kaduna, saying the lecturers, including professors and other experienced academics, left the university due to poor conditions of service and the failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement.
According to him, most of the lecturers who resigned or moved away from KASU secured appointments at newer universities within and outside Kaduna State.
He attributed the exodus largely to poor remuneration and declining welfare conditions, warning that the continued departure of experienced academics could have serious consequences for teaching, research and the overall development of the institution.
The ASUU-KASU chairman said the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement took effect in January 2026 and was designed to improve the conditions of service of academic staff across Nigerian universities.
He, however, said implementation of the agreement had yet to commence at KASU.
Abdullahi said the union had written several letters to the university management and governing council over the matter and had also notified the Visitor to the university, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
He said ASUU had engaged various stakeholders in an effort to resolve the matter and maintain industrial harmony within the university.
The chairman expressed concern that more than eight months after the agreement was signed, KASU was yet to begin implementation, while several federal universities and some state-owned institutions had already commenced the process. He added that some universities had also announced timelines for the payment of accrued arrears.
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Abdullahi warned that the delay had left KASU academic staff among the least-paid university workers in the country and could result in the accumulation of salary arrears dating back to January 2026.
He said the situation was particularly worrying because KASU had previously been known for giving considerable attention to staff welfare.
The union has consequently issued a two-week ultimatum to the Kaduna State Government and the university authorities to implement and domesticate the agreement.
Abdullahi warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated period could lead to a total and indefinite strike at the university.
He said the ASUU-KASU congress met on August 12 to review the situation and resolved to declare an industrial dispute over the unresolved issues.
According to him, the decision was also in line with a resolution reached by ASUU’s National Executive Council during its meeting at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9.
He explained that the ultimatum was part of the union’s established procedures for resolving industrial disputes and was intended to give the authorities an opportunity to take concrete steps before industrial action begins.
Beyond the non-implementation of the 2025 agreement, Abdullahi listed several local issues affecting academic staff at KASU.
They include university autonomy, excessive workload, promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance coverage, wage awards and pension remittances.
He urged the Kaduna State Government, university management and other relevant authorities to address the issues urgently.
The ASUU-KASU chairman warned that continued delays could worsen the lecturers’ exodus and further affect the university’s ability to deliver quality teaching and research.
He said replacing highly skilled and experienced academics would take years and require significant resources.
Abdullahi appealed to parents, students and other stakeholders to support efforts to resolve the dispute and prevent another disruption to academic activities.
He reaffirmed the union’s commitment to pursuing its demands through lawful and established channels, expressing hope that the government and university authorities would act before the two-week ultimatum expires.
NAN
