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The Kano zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has condemned the Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa state governments for refusing to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement in their state universities.
ASUU further warned that the continued delay would subsequently trigger industrial action during a press conference at Bayero University, Kano, on Wednesday by the Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Abdulrazaq Ibrahim.
He said while the federal government has started implementing key aspects of the agreement in most federal universities, state institutions in Kano zone are yet to domesticate or implement the provisions.
The Kano zone includes Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bayero University, Kano; Kaduna State University; Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil; Dutse Federal University; University of the North West, Kano; Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa; and Babura Federal University of Technology.
ASUU further said that the federal government has released funds to federal universities for the payment of outstanding five-month salary arrears, as well as for the payment of Consolidated Academic Facility Allowance (CATA), Teaching Secretariat Administrative Allowance (SAA) and Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).
He also expressed concern that no state university in Kano, Kaduna or Jigawa states has fully implemented the agreement, despite the fact that some states outside the zone have since domesticated and enforced the agreements.
“The Union calls on the state governments of Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa to abide by both the letter and spirit of the agreement by settling all outstanding claims and resolving all outstanding matters in their respective universities in the interest of lasting industrial harmony,” Ibrahim said.
He further warned that ASUU remains committed to ensuring that all its members fully benefit from the benefits achieved through years of negotiations, adding that it has formally notified the Implementation Monitoring Committee of the urgent need to ensure full compliance in state universities.
Likewise, the union also rejected reports that the federal government had no intention of paying the withheld three-and-a-half months’ wages owed to its members.
It claimed that lecturers continued to carry out research during the strike period and resumed other academic responsibilities soon after the industrial action was suspended, insisting on payment of withheld salaries.
In pension matters, the ASUU reported the delay in the refund of third-party deductions and pension contributions covering both the pre- and post-IPPIS exit periods.
ASUU urged the relevant authorities to immediately settle outstanding obligations and ensure regular remittance of pension contributions to pension fund administrators
In addition to university issues, ASUU expressed concern over Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges, citing terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, farmer-herder conflicts and the impact of climate change on livelihoods.
He called on governments at all levels to prioritize the protection of lives and property, while implementing policies that promote economic justice, national stability and sustainable development.
The union warned that failure to implement the 2025 agreement by the affected state governments would undermine industrial harmony and disrupt academic activities in universities in the area.
ASUU finally appealed to parents, students, media, civil society organizations and the general public to persuade the Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa state governments to live up to their commitments, stressing that continued neglect would jeopardize access to quality higher education and the future of thousands of students.
