The Kaduna State Government has constituted a nine-member
negotiation committee to engage the Kaduna State University (KASU) chapter
of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university-based
unions over their outstanding demands.
The government also approved a one-off payment of N300 million as Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for KASU staff.
The Secretary to the Kaduna State Government,
AbdulKadir Meyere, said the measures were aimed at improving staff welfare,
maintaining industrial harmony and ensuring stability at the university.
According to him, the ?300 million payment forms part
of efforts to tackle more than ?800 million in accumulated entitlements and
allowances dating back to 2016.
The government also said it had settled outstanding
withheld salaries and released more than ?300 million for accreditation
and resource-verification exercises for academic and postgraduate programmes.
Other measures include funding to clear outstanding SIWES
supervision allowances and the establishment of a N50 million monthly
standing order to gradually settle outstanding arrears.
The negotiation committee will be chaired by the
Commissioner for Education, Abubakar Sambo, with representatives from relevant
state ministries, the Kaduna State Local Government Service Board, the Schools
Quality Assurance Authority, KASU management and the university's governing
council.
The committee has been given four weeks to
conclude its assignment and submit its recommendations.
Its mandate includes reviewing demands from ASUU,
SSANU, NASU and NAAT, examining the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance
(CATA), comparing KASU's conditions with those of other state-owned
universities and assessing the financial implications of implementing demands
contained in the 2025 ASUU–Federal Government agreement.
Meyere said the committee was expected to recommend
solutions that are practical, equitable and financially sustainable.
He urged the unions to embrace dialogue and collective
bargaining rather than industrial action, warning that prolonged disputes could
disrupt the academic calendar and negatively affect students and their
families.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to
improving staff welfare, strengthening KASU and maintaining uninterrupted
academic activities.
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