The Kaduna State government has approved the implementation of the December 2025 federal government-Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) salary agreement for academic staff of Kaduna State University.

The Commissioner for Education, Abubakar Sambo, disclosed this at a press briefing in Kaduna on Friday.

Mr Sambo said the approved package would take effect from October 2026, following recommendations of the nine-member KASU ASUU negotiation committee.

He said the package included the revised Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), along with other applicable salary adjustments and allowances.

According to him, the approval reflects Governor Uba Sani’s commitment to education, human capital development and improved welfare for academic staff.

Mr Sambo said the state had allocated at least 25 per cent of its annual budget to education for three consecutive years.

He said the administration constructed and renovated 3,267 classrooms and provided 1,194 toilets and 90 boreholes across the state.

The commissioner added that 57,777 learners’ and teachers’ furniture had also been supplied, with several other projects ongoing across the 23 local government areas.

He said the government had approved a 50 per cent reduction in tertiary education fees to increase access and boost enrolment.

Mr Sambo said extending teachers’ retirement age from 60 to 65 had also improved staff morale and strengthened commitment to teaching.

He said the administration had made significant progress in tackling the out-of-school children challenge, with more than 300,000 children returned to education.

According to him, Kaduna’s household mapping approach for identifying out-of-school children has attracted national attention, and the federal government adopted it.

He said 4,050 young people had graduated from the state’s structured vocational training programme, with the Federal Ministry of Education seeking Kaduna’s training manuals.

Mr Sambo said Kaduna was also leading in the annual school census, adding that the education minister appointed him chairman of the Tertiary Education National Coverage Committee.

He said the state had also transformed its Schools Quality Assurance Authority into a technology-driven and data-based institution.

The commissioner urged ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT to reciprocate the government’s gesture by embracing dialogue to resolve differences.

He said the government expected improved staff welfare to translate into better teaching, research, innovation, student outcomes and global competitiveness.

Mr Sambo urged KASU management to pursue strategies that would enable the university to meet international standards and improve its position in global rankings.

He said the government appreciated the patience and constructive engagement of KASU management, ASUU and other stakeholders during negotiations.

Mr Sambo called on all parties to regard the salary approval as an investment in Kaduna’s people and a renewed commitment to excellence at KASU.

Meanwhile, KASU Vice-Chancellor Abdullahi Musa described the approval as a landmark development for the university.

Mr Musa said Mr Sani had demonstrated commitment to resolving longstanding welfare challenges affecting staff of the institution.

He commended the governor for allocating land to KASU academic staff for an affordable housing estate, describing the gesture as unprecedented.

The vice chancellor said the state government had also provided hundreds of millions of naira to ensure accreditation of KASU programmes.

He said all KASU programmes are currently fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and relevant professional bodies.

Mr Musa also commended the government for funding laboratory chemicals and equipment, saying KASU now had a world-class central laboratory.

He said the Kaduna State government had also cleared five months’ salary arrears owed to academic staff, describing the development as unprecedented.

The vice chancellor said the development demonstrated the governor’s concern for the education and welfare of university workers.

(NAN)