The Kaduna State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, KASU-ASUU, has suspended its ongoing strike following the approval by the Kaduna State Government for the implementation and domestication of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement for academic staff of the institution.
The union announced the suspension after its congress considered the approvals granted by the Kaduna State Government, the KASU Governing Council and the university management.
The suspension took effect from 12:01am on Friday, September 18, 2026, bringing an end, for now, to the industrial action that had disrupted academic activities at Kaduna State University.
The decision followed the approval by Governor Uba Sani for the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement for academic staff of KASU, with implementation scheduled to commence in October 2026. (Vanguard News)
KASU-ASUU Chairman, Abubakar Abdullahi, and Secretary, Silas Amos Bakut, announced the decision in a statement issued after the union’s congress meeting at the university.
According to the union, its members unanimously accepted the approvals and subsequently resolved to suspend the strike.
Kaduna Approves 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement
The Kaduna State Government had earlier approved the implementation and domestication of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU salary agreement for academic staff of Kaduna State University.
The approval followed the recommendations of a nine-member Government-KASU/ASUU Negotiation Committee constituted by Governor Uba Sani to examine the union’s demands and develop a framework for their implementation.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, had disclosed that the approved package would give effect to provisions contained in the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement.
These include the revised Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure, CONUASS, the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, CATA, as well as other applicable salary adjustments and allowances.
The state government announced the approval on September 11, 2026, while urging the striking lecturers to return to dialogue.
The approval became a major point in negotiations between the government and KASU-ASUU as the union sought implementation of the agreement and resolution of other outstanding issues affecting academic staff. (KDSG)
Nine-Month Salary Arrears Approved
In addition to the implementation of the 2025 agreement, the KASU Governing Council and management approved the payment of accrued nine-month arrears owed to academic staff.
The arrears cover the period from January to September 2026.
KASU-ASUU said the approvals from the state government and university authorities addressed key aspects of the dispute and formed the basis for the decision to suspend the industrial action.
The union’s statement said implementation of the approved agreement would commence in October 2026.
The payment of the nine-month arrears is expected to cover the outstanding period from January through September 2026, according to the union. (Vanguard News)
Why KASU-ASUU Began the Strike
The latest strike followed a series of disagreements between KASU-ASUU and the Kaduna State Government over staff welfare and the implementation of various agreements and entitlements.
The union had initially embarked on a two-week warning strike beginning in August 2026.
Among the issues raised by the lecturers were salary-related matters, earned academic allowances, university autonomy and promotion arrears.
The union had maintained that the state’s earlier approval of N300 million for Earned Academic Allowance did not resolve all of its outstanding demands.
The warning strike came after the expiration of an ultimatum issued by the union to the state government.
As the dispute continued, the Kaduna State Government constituted a negotiation committee to engage with the union and examine the demands raised by academic staff.
The negotiations subsequently resulted in the government’s approval of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement for KASU academic staff. (Punch)
KASU-ASUU Congress Accepts Government’s Offer
Following the latest approvals, KASU-ASUU convened its congress to consider the government’s position and the decisions of the university’s Governing Council and management.
After deliberations, the congress unanimously resolved to accept the offers and suspend the strike.
The union said the decision was based on the approvals granted concerning the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement and the payment of the accrued arrears.
The suspension became effective at 12:01am on September 18.
The union also commended the Kaduna State Government, the university’s Governing Council and KASU management for their roles in resolving the dispute.
KASU-ASUU specifically acknowledged the work of the government negotiation team, praising its engagement with the union and the attention given to the issues raised during the negotiations.
Union Commends Kaduna Government
In its statement, KASU-ASUU expressed appreciation to Governor Uba Sani for approving the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement.
The union said the decision represented an important step towards improving staff welfare and addressing issues affecting academic activities at the university.
It also commended members of the government negotiation team for what it described as their dedication and prompt attention to the issues under consideration.
The union acknowledged the role of KASU management in providing information and documents required during the negotiation process.
KASU-ASUU further said the government and university management demonstrated patience and restraint throughout the dispute.
According to the union, its members were allowed to follow established procedures in commencing and suspending the industrial action.
The union described this as a demonstration of respect for due process and constructive engagement between the university community and the state government. (Head Topics)
Kaduna Government’s Earlier Intervention
Before the latest agreement, the Kaduna State Government had announced several measures aimed at addressing some of the concerns raised by KASU academic staff.
The state government had approved a one-off payment of N300 million in Earned Academic Allowance to address part of a backlog of accumulated entitlements and allowances.
The government said the backlog was worth more than N800 million and dated back to 2016.
The state also said it had previously released more than N800 million in withheld salaries over a three-year period, according to statements by KASU’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa.
The vice-chancellor also said N146 million had been released to clear outstanding SIWES allowances inherited from previous administrations.
The state government further disclosed that more than N200 million had been disbursed to KASU in 2026 for operational needs, including laboratory chemicals and reagents, examinations and students’ field trips.
It also said more than N300 million had been invested in accreditation of academic programmes and resource verification for postgraduate programmes. (KDSG)
What the Agreement Means for KASU Lecturers
The implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement is expected to affect the salary structure and applicable allowances of academic staff at Kaduna State University.
The Kaduna State Government said the approved package includes the revised CONUASS, CATA and other salary adjustments and allowances contained in the agreement.
However, implementation is scheduled to begin in October 2026, while the university’s Governing Council and management have approved payment of the nine-month accrued arrears covering January to September.
The distinction between the implementation of the new agreement and payment of accumulated arrears means the two measures cover different aspects of the dispute.
The union accepted the government’s position after considering the approvals during its September 17 congress.
Academic Activities Set to Resume
With the suspension of the strike, attention will now shift to the resumption of academic activities at Kaduna State University.
KASU-ASUU expressed readiness to welcome students back to the classrooms and thanked students, stakeholders and members of the public for their patience during the industrial dispute.
The suspension removes the immediate disruption caused by the strike, although the implementation of the agreed measures will remain important to the continued resolution of the dispute.
The union’s decision also provides an opportunity for the university, the state government and the academic staff to focus on implementing the agreements reached during the negotiations.
Governor Uba Sani’s Education Policies
The Kaduna State Government has repeatedly highlighted education as a major area of its administration’s spending and policy priorities.
According to the state government, at least 25 per cent of the state’s annual budget has been allocated to education since Governor Uba Sani assumed office.
The government has also reported investments in classrooms, school facilities, furniture and other educational infrastructure across Kaduna State.
The Commissioner for Education said the administration had constructed and renovated 3,267 classrooms, provided 1,194 toilets and 90 boreholes, and supplied 57,777 pieces of furniture for learners and teachers.
The government also announced a 50 per cent reduction in tertiary education fees as part of its education-related policies.
These figures are claims made by the Kaduna State Government in its account of its education interventions.
Strike Suspension Follows Negotiations
The suspension of the KASU-ASUU strike is the latest development in a dispute that began over concerns about the implementation of agreements, salary adjustments, allowances and other conditions affecting academic staff.
The two sides eventually moved towards negotiations after the state government constituted a committee to consider the union’s demands.
The approval of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement and the decision by the university authorities to commence payment of nine months of accrued arrears provided the basis for the union’s congress to suspend the strike.
The union’s decision took effect at 12:01am on September 18, 2026.
For students of Kaduna State University, the development is expected to pave the way for the restoration of normal academic activities after weeks of disruption.
The implementation of the agreement and payment of the approved arrears will now be closely watched by the union, university management and other stakeholders.
For now, KASU-ASUU has suspended the industrial action following the latest government and university approvals, ending the immediate phase of the dispute while implementation of the agreements moves forward.
