Kaduna varsity dismisses ASUU’s claim of 200 lecturers’ resignation

The Vice-Chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU), Prof. Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, has dismissed claims by the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that about 200 lecturers resigned over poor working conditions.

Musa described the figure as misleading and unsupported by the university’s records, urging the public to disregard the claim.

In a statement issued in Kaduna, the vice-chancellor said staff movements involving resignations, retirements, transfers and pursuit of other professional opportunities were normal within the university system and should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of deteriorating working conditions.

He challenged ASUU to provide verifiable details of the alleged mass resignations, including the identities of the lecturers involved, dates of their resignations and reasons for leaving the institution.

“Public discourse concerning an institution as important as KASU must be guided by facts and verifiable records, not sweeping assertions capable of creating unnecessary anxiety among students, parents and the university community,” he said.

Musa said the Kaduna State Government had taken steps to improve staff welfare, including the release of more than N800 million for staff welfare over the past three years.

He added that the government had also released N146 million to clear withheld salaries and outstanding Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme allowances inherited from previous administrations.

According to him, the university, Kaduna State Government and KASU-ASUU had established a N50 million monthly intervention fund to support the institution.

He further disclosed that the government had released more than N200 million in overhead funding in 2026 to support essential academic activities, including laboratory chemicals and reagents, examinations and students’ field trips.

The vice-chancellor said more than N300 million had also been invested in the accreditation of over 57 academic programmes and resource verification for 60 postgraduate programmes by the National Universities Commission.

Musa said the university had expanded its academic and research capacity through the establishment of 14 research centres and two specialised institutes, including the Digital Learning Institute.

He also noted that the state government had reduced tuition fees across its tertiary institutions, including KASU, while more than N1.6 billion had been provided in local and foreign scholarships for indigent students.

The vice-chancellor acknowledged that some staff welfare issues remained unresolved but said the university was committed to addressing them gradually and sustainably.

He urged ASUU-KASU to reconsider any action that could disrupt the academic calendar and impose additional hardship on students and parents, stressing that channels for dialogue remained open.

Musa also advised the union to focus on the welfare of its members and avoid being drawn into partisan politics.

“The welfare of lecturers, stability of the university and, above all, the education and future of students must remain paramount,” he said.

He maintained that constructive dialogue remained the best approach to resolving outstanding issues, adding that industrial action should be considered only as a last resort where government was unwilling to engage.