Kaduna State University (KASU) is facing a growing academic staffing crisis, with the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) raising the alarm that more than 200 lecturers, including professors and other experienced academics, have left the institution over deteriorating working conditions and unresolved welfare issues.
The ASUU-KASU chairman, Abubakar Abdullahi, disclosed the development during a press briefing in Kaduna, according to a communiqué issued after the union’s meeting.
The union attributed the exodus largely to the failure to implement and domesticate the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement, which took effect in January.
According to the lecturers, the delay has further widened the gap between KASU and institutions where aspects of the agreement have either been implemented or timelines for implementation have been announced.
The union warned that the continued departure of senior academics could have serious consequences for teaching, research and the sustainability of several academic programmes at the university.
The loss of experienced professors and other senior lecturers, ASUU noted, is particularly concerning because rebuilding such expertise is neither immediate nor inexpensive. The development could also affect the university’s ability to maintain academic standards and compete for highly qualified scholars.
Two-week ultimatum
In response to the unresolved issues, ASUU-KASU has issued the university management and other relevant authorities a two-week ultimatum to commence full implementation and domestication of the 2025 agreement.
Failure to make meaningful progress within the stipulated period, the union warned, could trigger a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike at the university.
The decision followed a congress meeting of the KASU chapter held on August 12 and resolutions reached at the union’s National Executive Council meeting at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9.
Beyond the 2025 agreement, ASUU-KASU identified several outstanding issues contributing to dissatisfaction among academic staff. These include concerns over university autonomy, excessive workloads, unpaid promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance, outstanding 25 and 35 per cent wage awards, and pension remittances.
The union said it was giving the authorities the two-week window to demonstrate concrete commitment to resolving the grievances before deciding on further industrial action.
Growing pressure on Nigeria’s university system
The dispute at KASU comes against the backdrop of broader tensions between ASUU and government authorities over lecturers’ welfare, university funding, autonomy and the implementation of negotiated agreements. Similar disagreements have previously resulted in prolonged disruptions to academic activities across Nigeria’s public universities.
ASUU has repeatedly warned that poor remuneration and difficult working conditions are accelerating the migration of academics from Nigerian universities, undermining efforts to retain experienced scholars and improve the quality of higher education.
For KASU, the immediate concern is the pace at which experienced lecturers are leaving. If the situation persists without intervention, the university could face deeper shortages of qualified teaching staff, heavier workloads for those who remain and potential disruption to academic programmes.
The two-week deadline therefore places the KASU management and relevant authorities under renewed pressure to address the lecturers’ concerns before the dispute escalates into another prolonged shutdown.
For students and parents, the stakes are high: a failure to resolve the dispute could translate into another disruption of the academic calendar, while the continued loss of experienced lecturers could have consequences far beyond a single semester.
