Kaduna State University (KASU) is facing a growing academic staffing crisis, with its ASUU chapter saying more than 200 professors and other lecturers have left the institution over poor working conditions and unresolved welfare issues.
ASUU-KASU chairman, Abubakar Abdullahi, raised the alarm during a press briefing in Kaduna, saying the departure of experienced academics was reaching a level that could threaten the university’s academic programmes and reputation.
“At a rate that we are losing more than 200 professors at a time, professors and others alike. It’s frightening,” Abdullahi said, describing the situation as a haemorrhage of experienced manpower.
The union linked the worsening conditions partly to the failure to implement and domesticate the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, which took effect in January. ASUU said some universities had either begun implementing the agreement or announced timelines, while academic staff at KASU were yet to receive the benefits.
The union warned that replacing experienced professors and lecturers would not be straightforward, particularly as the continued loss of senior academics could weaken teaching, research and other university programmes.
ASUU-KASU has now issued a two-week ultimatum to the university management and relevant authorities to begin full implementation of the 2025 agreement. The union said failure to take concrete steps could trigger a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike.
The decision followed an ASUU-KASU congress held on August 12, alongside resolutions reached at the union’s National Executive Council meeting at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9. Other grievances include university autonomy, excessive workload, outstanding promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance, 25 and 35 per cent wage awards, and pension remittances.
A KASU lecturer, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that academic staff were facing serious financial and professional hardship. “This call is needed, and the government must act now,” the lecturer said, urging the authorities to intervene before the situation deteriorates further.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education were unsuccessful, as the available telephone number could not connect. ASUU said it remained willing to engage in dialogue but insisted that urgent action was needed to improve lecturers’ welfare and stop the loss of experienced academic staff.
