More than 200 lecturers, including professors, have reportedly left Kaduna State University (KASU) over poor condition s of service and unpaid benefits.
ASUU-KASU has issued two weeks ultimatum for authorities to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement or face a total and indefinite strike.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU-KASU chapter, disclosed this on Monday in Kaduna and immediately issued a 14-day ultimatum to Kaduna State Government and university authorities to implement the 2025 Federal Government -ASUU Agreement or face a total shutdown.
Addressing journalists, ASUU-KASU Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Abdullahi, said the agreement took effect in January 2026 but has not been domesticated at KASU, unlike in many federal and some state universities that have already started payment.
“Most of the lecturers who left have secured appointments in newer universities within and outside Kaduna State”, Abdullahi said.
“The delay has made KASU academic staff among the least-paid university workers nationwide, a far cry from the university’s former reputation for prioritizing staff welfare”
According to Abdullahi, the union Congress met on August 12 and resolved to declare an industrial dispute, in line with the ASUU National Executive Council resolution at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9.
Abdullahi said the the ultimatum followed a directive from the national leadership of ASUU and was intended to give the authorities an opportunity to resolve the matter before the situation escalated.
He warned that failure to act within the two-week period could lead to a total and indefinite strike by academic staff at the university.
The union also listed several outstanding issues affecting its members beyond the implementation of the 2025 agreement.
They include university autonomy, excessive workload, promotion arrears and payment of death benefits.
Other concerns raised by the union are the provision of group life insurance coverage, payment of wage awards and remittance of pension contributions.
Abdullahi urged the state government, university management and other relevant authorities to urgently address the issues, warning that continued inaction could further undermine industrial harmony and academic activities at the institution.
The latest developments adds to concern over the inability of state-owned universities to retain experienced academic staff amid differences in funding and implementation of national agreements on university workers’ welfare.
-9News Nigeria.
