Over 200 professors, lecturers quit KASU over poor welfare – ASUU

Kaduna State University (KASU) is facing a significant brain drain, with over 200 professors and academic staff departing due to poor conditions of service. The KASU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) revealed this exodus, citing the institution's failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government-Academic Staff Union of Universities agreement.

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More than eight months after the agreement was signed, KASU is yet to commence its implementation, while almost all federal universities and several state universities have either implemented the agreement or announced timelines for its implementation, including the payment of accrued arrears.

ASUU-KASU Chairman Comrade Abubakar Abdullahi stated that the agreement, designed to improve academic staff welfare, has not been implemented at KASU eight months after its signing. This contrasts with most federal and several state universities that have either implemented it or set timelines for its rollout, including payments of accrued arrears. Abdullahi highlighted that this delay makes KASU academic staff among the nation's least-paid, despite the university's past emphasis on staff welfare.

The union has issued a two-week ultimatum to university management and relevant authorities, demanding immediate and full implementation of the agreement. Failure to comply will result in a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike. Abdullahi expressed grave concern over the rate of departures, describing the loss of over 200 professors and lecturers as "frightening" and a "haemorrhage of experienced manpower" from which "no system survives."

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At a rate that we are losing more than 200 professors at a time, professors and others alike. It’s frightening. No system survives this kind of haemorrhage of experienced manpower.

He warned that the continued delay would not only exacerbate the welfare crisis but also lead to accumulating salary arrears. The departure of experienced academics, Abdullahi cautioned, could inflict long-term damage on the university's academic programs and reputation, potentially taking years to recover from the loss of their knowledge and experience.

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The loss of these professors and other experienced academic staff is not something that the university can easily recover from. When you lose experienced scholars, you cannot replace their knowledge and years of experience overnight. It could take years for the university to recover.