Kaduna varsity lecturers begin two-week warning strike

Lecturers of Kaduna State University, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, have commenced a two-week warning strike over unresolved demands bordering on salaries, earned allowances, university autonomy and promotion arrears.

The decision was taken on Thursday after hours of deliberation at an emergency meeting of the ASUU-KASU chapter attended by hundreds of academic staff.

The union maintained that the Kaduna State Government’s approval of N300m for the payment of Earned Academic Allowance to academic staff did not address all its outstanding demands.

Among the issues still being contested are the implementation of the 25-35 per cent salary agreement, university autonomy and payment of promotion arrears, among others.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page after the meeting, the union said it embarked on the warning strike following the expiration of the two-week ultimatum earlier issued to the government.

The union said, “Owing to the expiration of the warning which elapsed today (Thursday), we have to come back to tell members what has so far transpired when we issued the two-week warning since 12th August, 2026.

“And after serious deliberations, it was agreed we embark on two weeks warning strike, after which we will come back to take a definite stand. And this is if, at the end of the two weeks, nothing was forthcoming, we have to close the university.”

As of the time of filing this report, the ASUU-KASU leadership was meeting with the negotiation committee constituted by the state government in a fresh attempt to resolve the dispute.

The PUNCH reports that the latest industrial action followed the constitution of a nine-member committee by the Kaduna State Government to negotiate with ASUU-KASU and other university-based unions over their outstanding demands.

The government had also approved the immediate payment of N300m as Earned Academic Allowance to KASU academic staff.

Announcing the constitution of the committee on Monday, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr Abdulkadir Meyere, said it was mandated to comprehensively review the demands of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union and the National Association of Academic Technologists.

Meyere said the N300m EAA payment was part of the administration’s efforts to address accumulated entitlements and improve staff welfare at the university.

He said, “The intervention demonstrates the administration’s commitment to staff welfare, industrial harmony and the stability of the university through constructive dialogue and sustainable solutions.”

The strike came amid renewed concerns over welfare, working conditions and other unresolved issues at KASU, following the union’s earlier ultimatum to the state government and university management.

Although ASUU-KASU had maintained that it preferred dialogue and was ready to negotiate with the government, the latest decision indicates that the union remains dissatisfied with the pace of efforts to address its demands.

Reacting to the development, the 2027 governorship candidate of the opposition African Democratic Congress in Kaduna State, Isah Ashiru Kudan, said the industrial action had vindicated his earlier concerns about the state of education in the state.

Ashiru, through his spokesman, Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, in a statement issued in Kaduna on Friday, said the KASU crisis was a manifestation of what he described as the widening gap between government pronouncements and the realities confronting students and lecturers.

He alleged that the state government had failed to adequately meet its obligations to the education sector and implement recommendations and benchmarks advocated by UNESCO for sustainable educational development.

Ashiru said, “It is not enough for government to make impressive declarations on paper about education when the reality on the ground tells a completely different story. And this is the reason why the government fails to prevent the preventable ASUU-KASU strike.

“The ASUU-KASU strike is another clear indication that something is fundamentally wrong with the management of education in Kaduna State.”

The opposition candidate urged the government to stop dismissing concerns raised by stakeholders and instead address them through genuine engagement and timely intervention.

He said the welfare of academic staff, adequate funding of universities, provision of infrastructure and creation of a conducive learning environment should be treated as fundamental responsibilities of government rather than political talking points.

Ashiru also cautioned the Governor Uba Sani-led administration against what he described as “a culture of denial and reactionary governance,” urging it to resolve emerging challenges before they degenerated into industrial crises.

“A responsible government does not wait for lecturers to embark on strike before it begins to acknowledge problems that have been repeatedly brought to its attention. Governance requires foresight, engagement and timely intervention,” he said.

He urged the government to engage the ASUU-KASU leadership in genuine negotiations, honour its commitments and take concrete measures to restore industrial harmony at the university.

Ashiru further called for greater transparency in the management and allocation of resources meant for education, stressing that prolonged disruptions in academic activities could undermine the state’s development.

“Kaduna deserves a government that understands that education is an investment, not an expense. We must move beyond propaganda and paper achievements to measurable improvements that students, lecturers, parents and communities can actually see and feel,” he added.