Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani
Kaduna State Government has constituted a nine-member negotiation committee to review the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other staff unions at the Kaduna State University (KASU).
The government also approved a one-off payment of N300 million as Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) to staff of the university as part of efforts to address outstanding entitlements and restore industrial harmony at the institution.
The Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr AbdulKadir Mu’azu Meyere, disclosed this in a statement, saying the measures demonstrated Governor Uba Sani’s administration’s commitment to staff welfare, constructive dialogue and the stability of KASU.
Meyere said the N300 million intervention was part of sustained efforts by the administration to address a backlog of more than N800 million in accumulated entitlements and allowances dating back to 2016.
He said the government had also settled outstanding withheld salaries and released more than N300 million for the accreditation of academic programmes and resource-verification exercises for postgraduate programmes.
According to him, the administration had further released funds to clear outstanding allowances for supervision of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), while establishing a N50 million monthly standing order for the systematic settlement of outstanding arrears.
The nine-member committee, chaired by the Commissioner of Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, comprises the Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Mrs Patience Fakai; Commissioner for Youth, Mrs Gloria Ibrahim; Chairman, Local Government Service Board, Prof. Ladan Sharehu; and Director-General, Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Prof. Usman Abubakar Zaria.
Other members are the Vice-Chancellor of KASU, Prof. Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa; Pro-Chancellor, Dr Ibrahim Umar; Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the State Government; while the Permanent Secretary, Establishments Services and Training, will serve as secretary.
The committee has four weeks to complete its assignment and submit its recommendations to the government. It is mandated to review the demands of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
Among other responsibilities, the committee will examine the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), compare KASU’s conditions with prevailing practices in other state-owned universities and assess the financial implications of implementing demands arising from the 2025 ASUU-Federal Government agreement.
Meyere said the committee was expected to recommend practical, equitable and financially sustainable solutions to the outstanding issues. He urged the unions to embrace dialogue, negotiation and collective bargaining rather than resorting to industrial action that could disrupt the academic calendar and impose additional hardship on students and their families.
The government, he said, remained committed to keeping channels of engagement open, strengthening KASU, improving staff welfare and ensuring uninterrupted academic activities at the university.
