By Adamu Yusuf/ Edited by Shafii Abubakar Wababe
The management of Kaduna State University (KASU) has refuted claims by the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU-KASU) that more than 200 academic staff have left the institution due to poor conditions of service.
In a statement signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, on Tuesday, the management described the claim as misleading and said it did not reflect the realities within the university.
The clarification followed a recent press conference by ASUU-KASU, during which the union issued a two-week ultimatum to the Kaduna State Government over the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement and other staff welfare concerns.
The management said the movement of academic and non-teaching staff between institutions was a global phenomenon and should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of poor working conditions.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa urged the union to present facts objectively and avoid creating unnecessary alarm by attributing every staff departure to conditions of service at KASU.
According to the KASU management, the university’s recent achievements demonstrate a thriving academic environment and its ability to attract, retain and support distinguished scholars.
It cited the continued retention of internationally recognised researchers, including Professor Ibrahim Inuwa Yahaya of the Department of Chemistry, Dr Daniel Yahaya Shagaiya of Mathematics and Dr Abdullahi Yusuf Zuntu of Physics, who it said are ranked among the world’s top two per cent of scientists.
On academic programme accreditation, the management said the Kaduna State Government had spent more than ₦290 million on resource verification and accreditation of over 90 academic programmes.
It described the investment as evidence of the government’s commitment to strengthening academic standards at the university.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa further said that over the past three years, KASU had attracted more than £945,000 in research funding across various fields.
It added that the university had established several strategic international partnerships since 2023, including academic cooperation agreements with Benha University and the Institut Sains dan Unjuk Kerja (ISUJ), Jakarta.
Other collaborations, include cooperation in Qur’anic Studies with the Makkah International Centre for Qur’anic Guidance, through Hidaya Research and Development Company, as well as the establishment of the China-Nigeria Belt and Road Initiative Joint Laboratory in collaboration with Zhejiang University and the Longquan Industrial Innovation Research Institute through the COCESS Faculty.
The university also secured a ₦1 billion competitive research grant from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to advance research and development in commercial agriculture.
The management said the development was evidence of a vibrant academic institution and inconsistent with claims of widespread academic staff attrition.
It also highlighted government support for students, including scholarships exceeding ₦1 billion, a 50 per cent reduction in tuition fees and Governor Uba Sani’s directive allowing students who were unable to pay their fees to sit for examinations.
The measures, it said, were aimed at expanding access to higher education.
The management further stated that the Kaduna State Government had settled inherited salary arrears dating back to May 2022 owed to all categories of university staff, paid SIWES allowances and maintained regular payment of monthly salaries.
While reaffirming its commitment to staff welfare and the continued development of the university, the management appealed to ASUU-KASU to reconsider its position and return to the negotiating table.
“The university management remains committed to constructive engagement and sustained dialogue with the union in the interest of staff, students, and the continued growth and stability of Kaduna State University,” the statement said.
