The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Kaduna State University chapter, suspended its strike in Kaduna on Thursday, 17 September 2026, after Governor Uba Sani approved implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement for KASU academic staff and the university approved payment of nine months of accrued arrears.
The suspension took effect at 12:01am on Friday, 18 September, following a unanimous decision by the union’s congress to accept the resolutions reached by the Kaduna State Government, KASU Governing Council and university management
Also read: ASUU Sokoto issues fresh strike threat over unpaid entitlements
The decision brings a potentially significant breakthrough to a dispute that had disrupted academic activities at the university and centred on salaries, allowances, promotion arrears and the implementation of agreed conditions of service.
KASU-ASUU Chairman Abubakar Abdullahi and Secretary Silas Bakut announced the suspension in a statement issued after the union’s congress meeting at the university auditorium on Thursday.
According to the union, Governor Sani approved the implementation and domestication of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement for KASU academic staff from October 2026.
The university’s Governing Council and management also approved the commencement of payment of nine months of accrued arrears covering January to September 2026.
“We are pleased to inform all stakeholders that the Visitor and Executive Governor of Kaduna State has approved the implementation and domestication of the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement for Academic Staff of Kaduna State University (KASU), commencing from October 2026,” the union said.
The approvals address a central part of the disagreement between KASU-ASUU and the authorities and provide a pathway towards the restoration of academic activities.
The union described the decisions as “significant and commendable steps” towards restoring stability and industrial harmony at the university.
KASU-ASUU also said implementation of the agreement would improve staff welfare, support staff retention and enhance productivity.
The KASU-ASUU strike followed an earlier two-week warning action announced by the union in August over unresolved issues involving salaries, earned academic allowances, university autonomy and promotion arrears.
The PUNCH reported on 28 August that the union had commenced the warning strike after its demands remained unresolved.
At the time, the union maintained that Kaduna State Government’s approval of N300 million for Earned Academic Allowance did not resolve all the outstanding issues raised by academic staff.
The latest agreement therefore goes beyond the earlier allowance commitment, with the new arrangement covering the domestication of the wider 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement and payment of the nine-month arrears.
Following the latest approvals, the union said its congress considered the government’s position and unanimously resolved to suspend the industrial action.
“Based on the conditions mentioned above, the Congress resolved to suspend the ongoing strike action in the branch, effective 12.01 am, 18th September, 2026,” the statement said.
The union praised the Kaduna State Government, the Governing Council and KASU management for their roles in resolving the dispute.
Particular commendation was reserved for the government’s negotiation team, which the union said demonstrated “dedication, commitment, and prompt attention” to the issues under discussion.
KASU management was also commended for supplying information, documents and other materials required by the government negotiation team and the union during the discussions.
The tone of the union’s statement was notably conciliatory, with KASU-ASUU saying neither its members nor the union had been subjected to threats or intimidation during the dispute.
“It is worthy of note that neither the union nor its members were subjected to threats or intimidation by the government or the university management during the dispute,” the union stated.
The union said the approach represented a departure from what it described as difficult experiences in previous industrial disputes.
KASU-ASUU also said the government allowed the union to follow its established internal procedures when commencing and suspending the strike.
According to the union, that process reflected respect for due process, constructive engagement and established industrial relations.
The immediate impact of the agreement will be felt by students, whose academic activities were disrupted by the industrial action.
The union appealed to students to prepare for the resumption of academic activities, saying: “To our dear students, we look forward to welcoming you back to the classrooms as soon as possible.”
The latest development also highlights the continuing challenge of implementing national agreements within state-owned universities.
While the Federal Government and ASUU may reach agreements at national level, state universities can require additional approval and domestication processes before provisions are applied to their academic staff.
For KASU lecturers, the approval of the 2025 agreement and the commitment to nine months of arrears represent concrete steps towards resolving the immediate dispute.
The effectiveness of the settlement will now depend on the timely implementation of the approved provisions and payment arrangements.
Also read: ASUU Sokoto issues fresh strike threat over unpaid entitlements
For students and the wider university community, the suspension of the KASU-ASUU strike offers a welcome opening for academic activities to return to normal after weeks of uncertainty.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
