Kaduna denies mass lecturer exodus, reopens talks with ASUU
August 21, 2026 12:01 am
File: Kaduna State University
The Kaduna State Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Kaduna State University chapter, have expressed readiness to return to the negotiating table to resolve outstanding issues at the institution and avert a threatened indefinite strike.
The government also dismissed the union’s claim that more than 200 academic staff, including professors, had left the university because of poor working conditions, saying only 59 lecturers departed between January 2024 and August 2026.
The Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Prof Bello Ayuba, stated the government’s position on Wednesday in Kaduna while briefing journalists on the two-week ultimatum issued by KASU-ASUU.
The union subsequently said it was ready for immediate negotiations with the state government, with its chairman, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, stressing that its priority was to find lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the university.
KASU-ASUU had issued the two-week ultimatum to the university management and state government over concerns about staff welfare, remuneration, working conditions and the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
The union warned that failure to address its demands could lead to a total and indefinite strike, heightening concerns over another disruption of academic activities at the institution.
Ayuba, however, urged the union to shelve the threat of industrial action and embrace dialogue, saying the government remained committed to resolving legitimate concerns through established channels of engagement.
“Constructive dialogue remains the most effective path to sustainable resolutions of contending issues,” he said.
He added, “Industrial action by its nature is disruptive and should therefore remain a measure of last resort. Under the circumstances, we should all remain committed to the education and the future of our students.”
Ayuba said KASU-ASUU had not engaged the state government on issues requiring the intervention of the university’s proprietor under the 2025 agreement.
“KASU-ASUU has not deemed it necessary to initiate discussions with the authorities on the 2025 agreement,” he said.
The governor’s aide said the state government had committed substantial resources to staff welfare and the settlement of inherited liabilities at KASU.
According to him, more than N1bn had been spent on outstanding personnel liabilities, including unpaid salaries, hazard allowance arrears and other obligations.
He said N146.4m was released in May 2025 to clear withheld salaries and outstanding SIWES allowances, while a monthly N50m intervention had been approved for staff and sundry claims.
Ayuba also said the government had provided more than N200m for academic activities and over N300m for accreditation and resource verification, contributing to the accreditation of more than 57 academic programmes and verification of 60 programmes by the National Universities Commission.
On the alleged mass exodus of academic staff, Ayuba said 59 lecturers had left KASU between January 2024 and August 2026.
He gave a breakdown of the departures as two professors, two associate professors, six senior lecturers, 10 lecturers I, 15 lecturers II, 12 assistant lecturers and 12 graduate assistants.
He said staff movements in the university system could be caused by voluntary resignation, transfer of service, career progression, retirement and the expiration of temporary appointments.
“From January 2024 to date, 59 academic staff have left the university, out of which a total of 17 professors and associate professors left by voluntary resignation and transfer of service.
“To term all such official movements out of the university as the result of poor conditions of service without relevant data of the departures is pure mischief,” he said.
But KASU-ASUU chairman, Abdullahi, said the union was ready to engage the government at any time, expressing optimism that negotiations would produce concrete solutions before the expiration of the ultimatum.
“Even if government calls us now, we are ready to move. Anything that will bring peace and stability to the system is what we want. Even if it is 3 am, wherever we are, we are ready to go and engage and find solutions to the problems,” he said.
Abdullahi said the union’s major concern was the implementation and domestication of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, which he said would address staff welfare and conditions of service.
“Our major concern is the implementation of the 2025 agreement. If the agreement is implemented, it will go a long way in addressing the welfare of our members and some of the challenges facing the university,” he said.
The chairman said the union had previously raised 10 issues, three of which had been addressed by the authorities, while seven remained outstanding.
He listed the unresolved matters as university autonomy, excessive workload, promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance, wage awards and pension remittances, among others.
“We have 10 issues that we raised before. Three have been addressed, and we appreciate the government for that. But seven are still outstanding, and we have been engaging for almost two years,” Abdullahi said.
He stressed that the union was not interested in shutting down the university because of the impact of industrial action on lecturers and students.
“We don’t want to go on strike. We don’t want to shut down the university because we know the implications. We want peace and stability in the university,” he said.
Abdullahi urged the state government and other stakeholders to seize the fresh opportunity for engagement, assuring that the union would negotiate in good faith.
“Anything that will bring peace and stability to the system, we are ready for it. We are ready to sit down with government and find solutions to these problems,” he said.
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