By Ikechukwu Samuel
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University (KASU) chapter, has raised the alarm over the resignation of more than 200 lecturers, warning that the development could deepen the university’s academic and staffing crisis.
Chairman of ASUU-KASU, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, disclosed this on Monday at a press conference in Kaduna, attributing the mass departure to poor conditions of service and the failure of the university to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement.
The union has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Kaduna State Government and KASU authorities to begin implementation of the agreement and address other outstanding welfare concerns.
Abdullahi warned that failure to meet the union’s demands within the stipulated period could result in a total and indefinite strike at the university.
He said the lecturers who resigned, including professors and other experienced academics, had secured appointments in newer universities within and outside Kaduna State.
According to him, the exodus reflects growing dissatisfaction with remuneration and declining welfare conditions at KASU.
The ASUU chairman said the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement took effect in January 2026 and provided improved conditions of service for academic staff in Nigerian universities.
He, however, lamented that implementation had yet to commence at KASU, despite repeated communications by the union to the university management and governing council.
He added that the Visitor to the university, Gov. Uba Sani, had also been informed of the situation.
Abdullahi said ASUU had engaged relevant stakeholders in an effort to prevent an industrial crisis and preserve stability at the institution.
He expressed concern that more than eight months after the agreement became effective, KASU had yet to implement it, while several federal universities and some state-owned institutions had already commenced implementation and announced plans to settle accrued arrears.
The delay, he said, had left KASU academic staff among the least-paid university workers in the country.
Abdullahi warned that continued non-implementation would result in the accumulation of salary arrears dating back to January 2026.
He also cautioned that the departure of experienced lecturers could have serious consequences for teaching, research and the university’s broader academic development.
“Replacing highly skilled academics would take years and require significant resources,” he said.
The chairman disclosed that the KASU ASUU congress met on August 12 and resolved to declare an industrial dispute over the unresolved issues.
He said the decision was consistent with a resolution of ASUU’s National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9.
Abdullahi explained that the two-week ultimatum was part of the established procedure for resolving industrial disputes and was intended to give the authorities an opportunity to take concrete steps before industrial action commenced.
Beyond the Federal Government-ASUU agreement, he said several local issues remained unresolved at KASU.
These include university autonomy, excessive workload, promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance, wage awards and pension remittances.
He urged the Kaduna State Government and university authorities to urgently address the concerns, warning that further delay could worsen the staff exodus and destabilise academic activities.
Abdullahi appealed to parents and other stakeholders to support efforts to avert industrial action, stressing that timely intervention remained critical to preserving peace and stability at the university.
He reaffirmed ASUU-KASU’s commitment to pursuing its demands through lawful means, while expressing hope that the government and university authorities would act before the ultimatum expires.
