Kaduna Govt, KASU Dispute Scale of Academic Staff Departures

A sharp disagreement has emerged between Kaduna State University management and the Academic Staff Union of Universities over how many lecturers have abandoned their posts at the institution. The union alleges that more than 200 academics have resigned from KASU citing inadequate working conditions, while state authorities maintain the figure is substantially lower at 59 departures since January 2024.

The Kaduna State Government's Principal Private Secretary, Professor Bello Ayuba, presented the lower figure during a press briefing on Wednesday, noting that among those who left were 17 professors. The government has signalled willingness to engage in discussions with ASUU-KASU to address grievances, framing dialogue as preferable to industrial action.

Ayuba emphasised that the administration has invested resources in staff welfare and university development. The university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Musa, characterised staff movement as a normal occurrence in higher education globally and rejected the union's framing of departures as evidence of workplace distress.

He did not specify an exact number but suggested the exodus narrative misrepresented institutional conditions. The disagreement comes after ASUU-KASU issued a two-week deadline demanding implementation of agreements reached between the federal government and the union in 2025.

The state government has indicated openness to using established engagement channels to resolve outstanding issues affecting academic staff. Neither side has publicly detailed the specific grievances beyond references to conditions of service and implementation of national agreements.

The dispute over personnel numbers reflects deeper tensions over how institutional challenges at KASU should be characterised and resolved.