Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has given the green light for the 2025 Federal Government-Academic Staff Union of Universities (FGN-ASUU) salary agreement to be implemented for lecturers at Kaduna State University (KASU). This will take effect from October 2026.
This approval comes as KASU's ASUU chapter is in a serious dispute with the Kaduna State Government. What started as a warning strike has now turned into an indefinite strike due to unresolved issues.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof Abubakar Sambo, shared the news during a press briefing in Kaduna on Friday. He said the approval was based on the recommendations from a nine-member Government-KASU/ASUU Negotiation Committee that was set up by Mr Sani to look into the union's demands.
Prof Sambo explained that the approved salary package includes details from the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement. This covers the revised Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), and other necessary salary adjustments and allowances.
Tension has been building at KASU for weeks regarding the 2025 agreement and other working conditions. In August, ASUU-KASU issued a two-week ultimatum to the government and university leaders. They threatened to go on an indefinite strike if their demands were not met.
After the ultimatum, the union launched a two-week warning strike, claiming the government's actions did not address all their concerns. They raised issues like the 25 and 35 percent wage adjustments, university autonomy, promotion arrears, pension payments, death benefits, and group life insurance.
The situation has also raised worries about the number of experienced lecturers leaving the university. ASUU-KASU reported that over 200 professors and other academic staff have left KASU, blaming this on poor working conditions and delays in implementing the 2025 agreement.
But the KASU management and Kaduna State Government have disputed these numbers. The government stated that their records show only 59 academic staff left the university between January 2024 and August 2026, which includes 17 professors and associate professors.
Before this latest approval, Mr Sani had already granted a one-time payment of ₦300 million as Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for KASU lecturers. This payment was announced when the nine-member negotiation committee was formed, led by Dr AbdulKadir Mu’azu Meyere, the Secretary to the State Government.
The government said this payment was part of efforts to clear a backlog of over ₦800 million in entitlements and allowances owed since 2016. But the EAA payment did not solve the problems immediately, as ASUU-KASU insisted that many issues still needed to be resolved.
KASU management later asked the union to suspend its warning strike and allow for further negotiations with the government. Prof Sambo stated that the latest approval aligns with Mr Sani's commitment to education and developing human resources.
He pointed out that since the governor took office, at least 25 percent of the Kaduna State annual budget has been set aside for education. He noted that the administration has constructed and renovated 3,267 classrooms, built 1,194 toilets, provided 90 boreholes, and supplied 57,777 pieces of furniture for teachers and students.
Prof Sambo mentioned that the government has also approved a 50 percent cut in tertiary education fees and raised the retirement age for school teachers from 60 to 65 years. He urged ASUU, SSANU, NASU, and NAAT to appreciate the government's efforts and engage in dialogue.
"A government that listens and responds to legitimate concerns deserves a university community that is also committed to constructive engagement and public interest," he said. He also encouraged KASU to turn improved staff welfare into better teaching and student outcomes.
The Vice Chancellor of KASU, Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim-Musa, said the Sani administration has made significant moves to tackle long-standing staff welfare issues at the university. He mentioned that the government has released over ₦800 million in withheld salaries over the last three years and ₦146 million for outstanding allowances from previous administrations.
"KASU has cleared these inherited salary obligations, showing the government's commitment to staff welfare," he said. Prof Musa added that the government also released over ₦200 million in overhead funding to KASU this year. This money was used for laboratory supplies, student trips, exams, and other academic needs.
He stated that more than ₦300 million has been invested in the accreditation of over 57 academic programs and resource verification for 60 postgraduate programs by the National Universities Commission.
Dr Ibrahim Umar, Chairman of the KASU Governing Council, said that education remains a top priority for the Sani administration. He noted that the government has made strides in tackling the out-of-school children issue in Kaduna State.
He explained that the administration inherited over 500,000 out-of-school children in 2023 but has since brought back more than 300,000 children into education. Dr Umar also highlighted how the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority has been transformed into a more tech-focused and data-driven institution as part of the government's education reforms.
The government is urging all parties to see the salary approval as an investment in people and a chance to restore peace at KASU. It is calling on the university community and the unions to use this moment to engage positively and work on improving the academic standards and competitiveness of the institution.
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