KADUNA APPROVES N300M ALLOWANCE AS KASU-ASUU DISPUTE ENTERS TALKS

The Kaduna State Government has approved the immediate release of N300 million as Earned Academic Allowance for academic staff of Kaduna State University, KASU, as part of efforts to resolve lingering welfare concerns at the institution.

The government has also established a nine-member committee to engage the Kaduna State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other staff unions over their outstanding demands.

The development comes amid growing concerns over staff welfare and working conditions at KASU, with ASUU-KASU recently issuing a two-week ultimatum to the university management and state government to address several unresolved issues.

According to the Kaduna State Government, the N300 million payment is part of a broader effort to clear accumulated entitlements and improve conditions for workers at the university.

The Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr Abdulkadir Meyere, said the administration was committed to resolving the issues through dialogue and negotiation rather than allowing the disagreement to disrupt academic activities.

He explained that the government was already working to clear a backlog of more than N800 million in accumulated staff entitlements and allowances dating back to 2016.

The administration also said it had settled outstanding withheld salaries and provided funds to address arrears relating to Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme supervision allowances.

In addition, the government disclosed that a N50 million monthly standing order had been introduced to facilitate the gradual settlement of outstanding arrears and other staff-related claims.

The newly constituted committee, chaired by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, has been given four weeks to examine the demands of the university-based unions and submit its recommendations to the state government.

The committee will consider issues raised by ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union and the National Association of Academic Technologists.

Among the issues to be reviewed are the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, conditions of service and the financial implications of implementing provisions arising from the 2025 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government.

The government said the committee would also compare the conditions at KASU with those prevailing in other state-owned universities and propose solutions that are practical and financially sustainable.

The intervention follows concerns raised by ASUU-KASU over outstanding allowances and other welfare matters. The union had warned that failure to address its demands could result in industrial action and further disruption to academic activities.

However, the union has indicated that it prefers dialogue and remains willing to engage with the state government to resolve the disagreement.

The Kaduna Government has appealed to the unions to continue using negotiation and collective bargaining to resolve their grievances, warning that prolonged industrial action could negatively affect students, their families and the academic calendar.

The latest measures are expected to ease tensions between the state government and KASU unions while creating a platform for a broader discussion on staff welfare and the university's financial and administrative challenges.