The Kaduna State Government has constituted a nine-member negotiation committee to engage with the Kaduna State University (KASU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other staff unions over their demands.

The government has also approved a one-off payment of ₦300 million as Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for university staff.

In a statement, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, AbdulKadir Meyere, said the intervention demonstrated Governor Uba Sani’s commitment to staff welfare, industrial harmony and the stability of KASU.

Meyere said the ₦300 million payment was part of efforts to address a backlog of more than ₦800 million in accumulated entitlements and allowances dating back to 2016.

He said the administration had also settled outstanding withheld salaries and released more than ₦300 million for the accreditation of academic programmes and resource-verification exercises for postgraduate programmes.

Other interventions, according to the statement, include the release of funds to clear outstanding SIWES supervision allowances and the establishment of a ₦50 million monthly standing order to systematically settle outstanding arrears.

The Negotiation Committee will be chaired by the Commissioner of Education, Abubakar Sambo. Members include the Commissioner of Business, Innovation and Technology, Patience Fakai; Commissioner of Youth, Gloria Ibrahim; Chairman of the Local Government Service Board, Ladan Sharehu; Director-General of the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Usman Zaria; Vice-Chancellor of KASU, Abdullahi Musa; and Pro-Chancellor, Ibrahim Umar.
The Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, will also serve as a member, while the Permanent Secretary, Establishments Services and Training, will serve as Secretary to the committee.

The committee has four weeks to conclude its assignment and submit recommendations to the state government.
It is mandated to review the demands of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
The committee will also examine the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), compare KASU’s conditions with prevailing practices in other state universities, and assess the financial implications of implementing demands arising from the 2025 ASUU-Federal Government agreement.

Meyere said the committee was expected to recommend practical, equitable and financially sustainable solutions to the outstanding issues. He urged the unions to embrace dialogue, negotiation and collective bargaining instead of industrial action that could disrupt the academic calendar and negatively affect students and their families.

The government, he added, remains committed to keeping channels of engagement open, strengthening KASU, improving staff welfare and ensuring uninterrupted academic activities.