The Kaduna State Government has constituted a nine-member Negotiation Committee to comprehensively review and engage with the demands of the Kaduna State University (KASU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other staff unions.

The government has also approved the release of N300 million as a one-off payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) to academic staff of the university.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr AbdulKadir Mu’azu Meyere, disclosed this in a statement issued after the state executive council meeting on Monday.

Meyere said the intervention demonstrated Governor Uba Sani’s commitment to staff welfare, industrial harmony and the stability of the university through constructive dialogue and sustainable solutions.

According to him, the N300 million EAA payment is part of the administration’s efforts to address a backlog of more than N800 million in accumulated entitlements and allowances dating back to 2016.

He listed other interventions by the administration over the past three and a half years to include the settlement of outstanding withheld salaries.

The government, he added, had also released more than N300 million for the accreditation of academic programmes and resource-verification exercises for postgraduate programmes.

Other interventions include the release of funds to clear outstanding SIWES supervision allowances and the establishment of a N50 million monthly standing order dedicated to the systematic settlement of outstanding arrears.

The Negotiation Committee will be chaired by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo. Other members are the Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Mrs Patience Fakai; Commissioner for Youth, Mrs Gloria Ibrahim; Chairman, Local Government Service Board, Professor Ladan Sharehu; Director-General, Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Professor Usman Abubakar Zaria; Vice-Chancellor of KASU, Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa; and Pro-Chancellor, Dr Ibrahim Umar.

The Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, is also 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 its recommendations to the government. It is mandated to review the demands of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

The committee will also examine the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), compare KASU’s situation with prevailing practices in other state-owned universities, and determine 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 options for resolving the outstanding issues.

He urged the unions to embrace dialogue, negotiation and collective bargaining rather than industrial action that could disrupt the academic calendar and adversely affect students and their families.

The government reiterated that its channels of engagement remained open and assured the university community of its commitment to strengthening KASU, improving staff welfare and safeguarding uninterrupted academic activities.