By Ibrahim BUNU
ibrahimbunu2520@gmail.com
THE WARNING KADUNA MUST NOT IGNORE
The controversy surrounding the reported departure of more than 200 academic staff from Kaduna State University (KASU) should not be dismissed as another disagreement between a university and its lecturers.
But neither should the figure be presented as an established fact without verification.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, KASU chapter, has reported that more than 200 academic staff have left the institution, citing welfare concerns and the non-implementation of the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement.
KASU management has disputed that characterization and urged the union to present the facts objectively. (Waves Media)
That disagreement itself demonstrates why Kaduna State Government needs something more sophisticated than another press statement.
It needs an independent institutional audit.
Because whether the actual number is 200, 150, 100 or significantly lower, the strategic question remains:
Why are academics leaving, which departments are being affected, what obligations remain outstanding, and what must Kaduna do to make KASU competitive again?
That is the real issue.
And if Kaduna gets that question right, the current crisis could become an opportunity to rebuild KASU into one of Northern Nigeria’s most competitive knowledge institutions.
1. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE: DO NOT POLITICISE THE DATA
The first thing Governor Uba Sani’s administration should do is establish the truth.
Not ASUU’s version.
Not management’s version.
Not the government’s version.
The institutional facts.
A 30-day independent KASU Human Capital and Financial Audit should determine:
* number of academic staff on the payroll;
* number who resigned;
* number who retired;
* number who transferred;
* number who were dismissed;
* number currently on leave;
* academic rank of every departing academic;
* department and faculty affected;
* date of departure;
* stated reason for departure;
* destination institution where voluntarily disclosed;
* outstanding salaries;
* promotion arrears;
* allowances;
* pension obligations;
* insurance obligations;
* research commitments;
* accreditation implications;
* student-to-lecturer ratios;
* and critical vacancies.
This should be independently verified.
Because good policy begins with reliable data.
2. THE LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK MATTERS
Kaduna cannot simply copy an American, British, South African or Malaysian university model and impose it on KASU.
The solution must operate within Nigerian law.
That means aligning the recovery programme with:
* the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
* applicable Kaduna State laws establishing and governing KASU;
* National Universities Commission requirements;
* TETFund legislation and intervention guidelines;
* public procurement requirements;
* applicable public-finance and audit rules;
* pension legislation;
* tax and employment laws;
* foreign-exchange regulations;
* donor-specific grant conditions;
* and relevant Nigerian public-sector accounting requirements.
This is important because international funding does not suspend Nigerian law.
A World Bank grant, philanthropic donation or foreign research award must still be properly received, accounted for and used within Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework.
3. KASU SHOULD NOT BE FINANCED THROUGH ONE PIPELINE
This is perhaps the most important financial lesson.
Kaduna should stop thinking about university financing as:
State Government → KASU → salaries.
That model is too narrow.
A modern public university should operate with a diversified financing architecture.
I would propose:
FUNDING STREAM 1
Kaduna State Government
FUNDING STREAM 2
Federal Government
FUNDING STREAM 3
TETFund
FUNDING STREAM 4
Competitive research grants
FUNDING STREAM 5
International development partners
FUNDING STREAM 6
Private-sector partnerships
FUNDING STREAM 7
Philanthropic foundations
FUNDING STREAM 8
Alumni and diaspora
FUNDING STREAM 9
University endowment
FUNDING STREAM 10
Commercialisation and internally generated revenue
The objective is not to replace government funding.
It is to reduce institutional vulnerability to a single source of money.
4. TETFund SHOULD BE THE FIRST FEDERAL LEVER
Kaduna does not need to invent a federal funding relationship.
KASU is already listed by TETFund as a beneficiary institution. (TETFund)
TETFund’s statutory mandate includes supplementary support for public tertiary education, including infrastructure, instructional materials and equipment. (TETFund)
And TETFund has announced a 2026 intervention allocation of approximately ₦2.526 billion for each public university, subject to the applicable intervention framework and implementation rules. (TETFund)
That creates an immediate strategic opportunity.
Kaduna should establish a:
KASU–TETFund Intervention Acceleration Desk
Its responsibility should be to identify every eligible TETFund intervention that KASU can lawfully and competitively access.
The university should not merely wait for allocations.
It should prepare projects.
5. MOVE FROM “ASKING FOR MONEY” TO “PRESENTING BANKABLE PROJECTS”
This is how sophisticated institutions approach development finance.
Do not tell a donor:
“KASU needs money.”
Tell the donor:
“KASU has a verified problem, a defined intervention, measurable outputs, audited governance arrangements and a five-year sustainability plan.”
For example:
PROJECT A
KASU Advanced Research and Innovation Centre
PROJECT B
KASU Digital University and AI Laboratory
PROJECT C
KASU Agricultural Biotechnology Centre
PROJECT D
KASU Security and Peace Studies Institute
PROJECT E
KASU Medical Research and Public Health Centre
PROJECT F
KASU Renewable Energy and Energy-Efficiency Programme
PROJECT G
KASU Academic Staff Housing Scheme
Each should have:
Problem → intervention → cost → implementation timetable → beneficiaries → measurable outcomes → sustainability plan.
That is what makes a project fundable.
6. THE WORLD BANK OPPORTUNITY
The World Bank should not be approached with a vague request for money to pay university bills.
That is unlikely to be the strongest financing proposition.
Instead, Kaduna should position KASU within areas already compatible with Nigeria’s development-financing priorities:
* human capital;
* skills;
* employment;
* education quality;
* digital transformation;
* institutional governance;
* infrastructure;
* climate resilience;
* innovation;
* and labour-market relevance.
The World Bank currently has a very substantial portfolio in Nigeria, and its recent Nigeria financing includes human-capital and education-related operations. (World Bank)
The strategic route is therefore:
Kaduna State Government → Federal Government / relevant implementing ministry or agency → World Bank programme → KASU component/project
rather than simply:
KASU → World Bank → please fund our salaries.
That distinction is critical.
7. THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK IS ANOTHER STRATEGIC ROUTE
The African Development Bank is particularly relevant to KASU because its current Nigeria engagement includes university revitalisation, skills and infrastructure.
In 2026, AfDB reported work connected to Nigeria’s Skills for Industry Project, being developed under the National Universities Commission’s Blueprint for the Rapid Revitalisation of University Education in Nigeria. (African Development Bank)
AfDB has also financed renewable-energy infrastructure for Nigerian universities.
Its Energising Education programme has provided solar-hybrid systems to Nigerian universities, including facilities serving classrooms and laboratories. (African Development Bank)
This gives Kaduna an obvious opportunity.
Instead of asking:
“Can AfDB help KASU?”
Kaduna should develop specific proposals such as:
KASU Energy Independence Programme
Solar + battery storage + energy-efficient laboratories + smart campus infrastructure.
The argument is powerful:
Lower energy costs → more predictable university operations → better laboratories → improved research → stronger academic retention.
That is a development-finance proposition.
8. ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK SHOULD ALSO BE EXPLORED
Given Kaduna’s demographic and institutional context, the Islamic Development Bank should be considered as another potential partner.
IsDB has demonstrated that it can finance major education infrastructure projects in Africa, including university campuses and facilities. Its King Abdullah Girls Campus project at the Islamic University in Niger, for example, involved a major higher-education infrastructure investment. (Islamic Development Bank)
Kaduna could develop a proposal around:
* STEM;
* female education;
* digital education;
* science laboratories;
* student accommodation;
* research infrastructure;
* entrepreneurship;
* and employability.
But again:
Do not ask for a donation.
Present a professionally prepared development project.
9. DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS SHOULD FUND PROJECTS, NOT GOVERNMENT’S UNLIMITED PAYROLL
This distinction must be made clearly.
International development institutions are generally more comfortable financing:
* infrastructure;
* systems;
* skills;
* research;
* innovation;
* digital transformation;
* renewable energy;
* laboratories;
* governance;
* scholarships;
* entrepreneurship;
* and measurable human-capital programmes.
They are not a substitute for the state government’s fundamental responsibility to fund its own university and meet lawful employment obligations.
Therefore:
Kaduna must use international money to accelerate transformation—not to permanently outsource its statutory responsibilities.
10. CREATE A KASU INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
This should become a permanent institutional function.
KASU needs a professional team whose only job is to identify, develop and manage external funding opportunities.
The office should maintain a live database of:
* World Bank opportunities;
* AfDB opportunities;
* IsDB opportunities;
* UNESCO programmes;
* UN agencies;
* bilateral donors;
* research councils;
* philanthropic foundations;
* corporate foundations;
* international universities;
* diaspora institutions;
* and competitive research funds.
The university should never again discover a major funding opportunity after the application deadline.
11. CREATE A “GRANT READINESS UNIT”
Many African institutions lose grants not because they are unqualified but because they are not grant-ready.
KASU should establish a central unit responsible for:
* proposal writing;
* grant budgeting;
* compliance;
* monitoring and evaluation;
* research administration;
* intellectual property;
* procurement compliance;
* donor reporting;
* financial reporting;
* and partnership management.
Every faculty should have a grant-development officer or focal person.
12. BUILD A KASU ENDOWMENT FUND
This is one of the most important long-term reforms.
KASU should establish a professionally governed:
KASU ENDOWMENT AND INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL FUND
The endowment should accept contributions from:
* alumni;
* philanthropists;
* businesses;
* foundations;
* diaspora Nigerians;
* development partners;
* traditional institutions;
* high-net-worth individuals;
* and international partners.
The critical principle is:
Do not spend the principal casually.
The endowment should be professionally invested subject to applicable Nigerian law and governance requirements, with approved returns supporting:
* professorial chairs;
* scholarships;
* research;
* laboratories;
* innovation;
* academic retention;
* visiting professors;
* and strategic institutional priorities.
13. THE NORTHERN NIGERIAN DIASPORA IS AN UNTAPPED ASSET
Kaduna should establish:
KASU Global Alumni and Diaspora Network
Identify KASU graduates living in:
* United Kingdom;
* United States;
* Canada;
* Australia;
* Europe;
* Gulf countries;
* South Africa;
* and elsewhere.
But don’t simply ask them for money.
Give them specific projects.
For example:
“Sponsor a KASU AI Laboratory.”
“Endow a Professorial Chair in Peace and Security.”
“Fund 50 postgraduate scholarships.”
“Equip the Department of Engineering.”
“Fund a women’s STEM programme.”
Specific projects are easier to support than vague institutional appeals.
14. PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE PROJECT-BASED
Kaduna should approach major Nigerian philanthropists, foundations and corporate social-responsibility programmes.
But again, not:
“Please help KASU.”
Instead:
“Here is the KASU Centre for Agricultural Innovation. It costs ₦X. It will support X researchers, X students and X communities annually. Here are the governance arrangements and measurable outcomes.”
That is much more persuasive.
15. CORPORATE NIGERIA SHOULD BECOME A PARTNER
Kaduna has a major advantage.
It has a large industrial, agricultural, security and commercial ecosystem.
KASU should approach:
* banks;
* telecommunications companies;
* technology companies;
* pharmaceutical companies;
* agricultural businesses;
* manufacturing firms;
* mining companies;
* energy companies;
* defence-related industries;
* and professional services firms.
The offer should be:
KASU provides knowledge and talent.
Industry provides funding, technology and real-world problems.
Government provides policy support and enabling infrastructure.
That creates a three-way development partnership.
16. USE THE PPP MODEL WHERE APPROPRIATE
Nigeria’s current federal education roadmap explicitly contemplates private-sector participation and PPP arrangements in tertiary education infrastructure. (Planipolis)
Therefore, Kaduna should investigate PPP opportunities for:
* student accommodation;
* academic staff housing;
* renewable energy;
* ICT infrastructure;
* laboratories;
* conference facilities;
* research parks;
* commercial facilities.
But every PPP must comply with the applicable Nigerian procurement and PPP framework.
It should not become a mechanism for transferring public assets without proper valuation, approvals or accountability.
17. ACADEMIC STAFF HOUSING SHOULD BE TREATED AS RETENTION INFRASTRUCTURE
The previously proposed KASU-ASUU housing initiative should be audited and accelerated.
Housing can become part of a retention strategy.
A professor who has:
* affordable housing;
* research support;
* a good laboratory;
* predictable promotion;
* postgraduate resources;
is less likely to leave simply because another institution offers marginally better conditions.
Housing therefore becomes part of human-capital policy.
18. CREATE A KASU PROFESSORIAL CHAIR PROGRAMME
This is a proven international model.
Instead of asking government to fund every research position, Kaduna could invite philanthropists and companies to endow chairs.
Examples:
Kaduna Chair of Artificial Intelligence
Kaduna Chair of Peace and Security Studies
Kaduna Chair of Agricultural Biotechnology
Kaduna Chair of Public Health
Kaduna Chair of Mining and Mineral Processing
Kaduna Chair of Renewable Energy
Kaduna Chair of Public Policy and Governance
The donor provides an endowment or approved multi-year funding structure.
KASU provides the academic platform.
The professor produces research, trains students and builds partnerships.
19. CREATE A KASU RESEARCH COMPETITIVE FUND
TETFund itself recognises competitive research funding, and its current intervention framework includes numerous thematic areas open to eligible public-university researchers. (TETFund)
KASU should therefore establish an internal competitive research fund.
Instead of distributing research money equally:
fund the best proposals.
Selection should be based on:
* scientific merit;
* societal relevance;
* publication potential;
* grant potential;
* industry relevance;
* student involvement;
* commercialisation potential.
This introduces a culture of excellence.
20. MAKE KASU’S RESEARCH RELEVANT TO KADUNA’S PROBLEMS
The university should deliberately solve Kaduna’s problems.
SECURITY
Conflict prevention, deradicalisation, community resilience and security technology.
AGRICULTURE
Dryland farming, irrigation, livestock, food processing and climate-smart agriculture.
HEALTH
Maternal health, infectious disease, public health and health systems.
MINING
Responsible mining, environmental restoration and mineral processing.
TECHNOLOGY
AI, cybersecurity, data science and digital government.
EDUCATION
Teacher training, learning outcomes and educational technology.
This makes KASU useful to government, industry and communities.
And useful universities attract partners.
21. DEVELOP A “KASU 2035” MASTER PLAN
The recovery should not end with salary negotiations.
Kaduna should establish:
KASU 2035
A ten-year institutional transformation strategy.
It should establish measurable targets for:
* student quality;
* academic staff quality;
* research grants;
* publications;
* citations;
* patents;
* postgraduate programmes;
* international partnerships;
* industry partnerships;
* graduate employment;
* infrastructure;
* energy;
* digitalisation;
* staff retention;
* student welfare;
* financial sustainability.
The university should know exactly where it wants to be by 2030 and 2035.
22. CREATE A KASU FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL
The state government should remain the anchor financier.
But KASU should gradually diversify its legitimate revenue base.
Potential sources include:
* competitive grants;
* research contracts;
* executive education;
* professional training;
* technology licensing;
* intellectual-property commercialisation;
* consultancy;
* alumni donations;
* endowment returns;
* industry partnerships;
* conference facilities;
* continuing education;
* and approved income-generating activities.
This does not mean abandoning affordable public education.
It means creating additional institutional resources.
23. DO NOT USE INTERNATIONAL GRANTS TO PAY OLD DEBTS WITHOUT APPROVAL
This is a critical legal and financial warning.
If Kaduna owes lecturers salaries, allowances or other lawful entitlements, government must address those obligations through the appropriate public-finance process.
A donor grant designated for a laboratory cannot simply be diverted to salary arrears.
Likewise, a research grant cannot be treated as a general-purpose government account.
Every funding stream must be used according to:
its legal purpose + appropriation requirements + donor conditions + procurement rules + audit requirements.
This is where many otherwise good funding strategies collapse.
24. FOREIGN DONATIONS MUST BE PROPERLY STRUCTURED
International donors will often require:
* a legally recognised recipient;
* a dedicated project account;
* audited financial statements;
* procurement procedures;
* anti-corruption controls;
* beneficial-ownership and AML checks;
* monitoring and evaluation;
* environmental and social safeguards where applicable;
* and independent reporting.
Foreign exchange receipts should also be processed through authorised financial channels in accordance with applicable CBN rules.
The CBN’s current regulatory framework emphasises formal banking channels, governance, risk management and compliance in foreign-exchange operations. (Central Bank of Nigeria)
Therefore:
Every foreign donation should enter through a transparent, legally compliant financial structure—not an informal political or personal account.
25. ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT KASU FUNDING GOVERNANCE BOARD
If Kaduna intends to mobilise substantial external capital, donors will want confidence.
I recommend a:
KASU Development and Endowment Board
Its membership could include:
* KASU Governing Council representative;
* Vice-Chancellor;
* Kaduna State Ministry of Higher Education;
* Ministry of Finance representative;
* TETFund liaison;
* respected academic;
* private-sector representative;
* alumni representative;
* legal/compliance expert;
* audit professional;
* development-finance specialist.
Its job would be to oversee externally funded projects.
Not political appointments.
Not distribution of patronage.
Professional project governance.
26. CREATE A DONOR TRANSPARENCY PORTAL
Every major externally funded project should have a public dashboard showing:
Donor
Amount committed
Project
Implementation period
Contractor
Amount disbursed
Amount spent
Outputs delivered
Independent audit status
Completion percentage
This is how Kaduna builds donor confidence.
Transparency is not an enemy of government.
It is a fundraising instrument.
27. KASU SHOULD BECOME “GRANT READY”
Before approaching serious international institutions, KASU should have a digital data room containing:
* audited accounts;
* institutional profile;
* legal documents;
* governance structure;
* strategic plan;
* procurement framework;
* previous grant history;
* research capacity;
* faculty profiles;
* student statistics;
* accreditation information;
* infrastructure inventory;
* environmental/social safeguards where relevant;
* project concepts;
* monitoring framework;
* and sustainability plans.
When a donor asks:
“Show us your institutional capacity.”
KASU should be able to send a secure package within 24 hours.
28. THE FUNDING STRATEGY SHOULD FOLLOW THREE LAYERS
I recommend:
LAYER ONE — GOVERNMENT
Pay legitimate obligations.
Maintain core salaries.
Fund basic operations.
Provide counterpart financing.
LAYER TWO — DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
Fund:
* infrastructure;
* digitalisation;
* energy;
* research;
* skills;
* innovation;
* laboratories.
LAYER THREE — PHILANTHROPY AND PRIVATE SECTOR
Fund:
* professorial chairs;
* scholarships;
* research;
* innovation;
* laboratories;
* entrepreneurship;
* specialised centres.
This prevents donors from becoming substitutes for government.
29. KASU SHOULD SEEK FEDERAL COUNTERPART SUPPORT
The Kaduna State Government should engage:
* Federal Ministry of Education;
* NUC;
* TETFund;
* Federal Ministry of Finance;
* relevant federal economic-planning institutions;
* and development-partner coordination structures.
Nigeria’s federal tertiary-education roadmap already envisages collaboration involving government, TETFund, development partners and the private sector. (Planipolis)
Kaduna should therefore present KASU not as a purely local problem but as:
a strategic Nigerian human-capital institution located in Kaduna State.
That framing matters.
30. A KASU INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY
KASU should actively seek institutional partnerships with universities abroad.
Not merely ceremonial MoUs.
Each MoU should contain deliverables:
* joint research;
* co-supervision;
* visiting professors;
* laboratory access;
* staff development;
* student exchange;
* joint publications;
* technology transfer;
* joint grant applications.
An MoU without funding or deliverables is often just diplomatic decoration.
31. THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCING TARGET
I would propose that Kaduna establish a five-year target based on diversification rather than a single arbitrary amount.
For every ₦100 of KASU’s development expenditure, the long-term objective could be approximately:
₦40 — Kaduna State
₦20 — TETFund/Federal interventions
₦15 — competitive research grants
₦10 — development partners
₦10 — philanthropy/endowment
₦5 — industry/alumni/other institutional income
These percentages are a proposed strategic model, not an existing government allocation or legally mandated formula.
The exact ratios should be determined after KASU’s audited financial baseline is established.
32. THE GOVERNOR SHOULD CREATE A KASU RECOVERY COMPACT
The Governor should convene:
Kaduna State Government + KASU Governing Council + KASU Management + ASUU-KASU + TETFund + NUC + private sector + alumni + development partners.
The meeting should produce a written:
KASU RECOVERY AND TRANSFORMATION COMPACT 2026–2030
It should contain:
Immediate commitments
* verified welfare obligations;
* salary issues;
* promotion arrears;
* pension/insurance matters;
* industrial-relations settlement.
Institutional commitments
* governance reform;
* academic staffing;
* research funding;
* student protection.
Development commitments
* laboratories;
* housing;
* energy;
* digital infrastructure;
* research centres.
Financing commitments
* state counterpart funding;
* TETFund applications;
* donor pipeline;
* private-sector commitments;
* endowment target.
Accountability
* quarterly reporting;
* annual independent audit;
* public performance dashboard.
33. THE FIRST 100 DAYS
DAYS 1–30 — DIAGNOSE
Audit staff.
Audit finances.
Audit academic programmes.
Audit infrastructure.
Verify the resignation figures.
Map outstanding obligations.
DAYS 31–60 — STABILISE
Negotiate with ASUU.
Settle verified priority obligations.
Identify critical academic departments.
Launch retention measures.
DAYS 61–100 — MOBILISE
Prepare TETFund projects.
Prepare World Bank/AfDB/IsDB-compatible concepts.
Launch KASU Endowment.
Launch diaspora campaign.
Establish grant office.
Launch PPP feasibility studies.
34. YEAR ONE — REBUILD
By the end of the first year:
* critical vacancies should be identified and addressed;
* retention mechanisms should be operational;
* research funding should increase;
* donor proposals should be active;
* housing progress should be measurable;
* digital infrastructure should improve;
* governance reforms should be visible;
* and KASU should have a functioning external-funding pipeline.
35. YEARS TWO TO FIVE — TRANSFORM
By 2030, KASU should aim to become recognisable for several areas of excellence.
Not necessarily everything.
Pick strategic niches.
For example:
Security and Peace Studies
Agricultural Technology
Public Health
AI and Digital Transformation
Renewable Energy
Mining and Mineral Sciences
The objective should be:
Don’t try to become excellent at everything. Become exceptionally good at strategically important things.
36. WHAT GOVERNOR UBA SANI SHOULD DO PERSONALLY
This crisis is too important to delegate entirely.
The Governor should personally chair the initial strategic intervention.
But he should not micromanage the university.
His role should be:
Political authority + convening power + funding mobilisation + accountability.
He should use his office to bring together:
Federal Government.
TETFund.
NUC.
Development banks.
Philanthropists.
Corporate Nigeria.
Diaspora.
International universities.
KASU management.
ASUU.
That is where a governor can add enormous value.
37. THE GOVERNOR SHOULD NOT TRY TO “WIN” THE ASUU DISPUTE
That is the wrong objective.
If government defeats ASUU but KASU loses 200 experienced academics, nobody has won.
If ASUU wins every demand but KASU becomes financially unsustainable, nobody has won.
The only meaningful victory is:
A financially sustainable, academically competitive and peaceful KASU.
That should be the common objective.
38. THE MOST IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE KADUNA SHOULD ADOPT
The most useful international practice is not simply “find foreign money.”
It is:
BUILD A MULTI-YEAR, PERFORMANCE-BASED FUNDING SYSTEM.
Internationally competitive universities tend to connect resources with:
* measurable outcomes;
* research quality;
* institutional performance;
* student outcomes;
* innovation;
* partnerships;
* and accountability.
Kaduna should gradually move KASU in that direction.
39. WHAT SUCCESS SHOULD LOOK LIKE
Five years from now, the question should not be:
“Has KASU stopped fighting with ASUU?”
The questions should be:
How many excellent professors does KASU retain?
How many major research grants does it win?
How many postgraduate programmes are strong?
How many patents or innovations emerge?
How many industry partnerships exist?
How much external funding is attracted?
How many graduates obtain meaningful employment?
How much research addresses Kaduna’s problems?
How strong is the university’s international reputation?
Those are the real indicators.
40. THE HARD TRUTH
Kaduna cannot build a modern economy while underinvesting in knowledge.
The state can construct roads.
It can build hospitals.
It can attract investors.
It can establish industrial parks.
But somebody must provide the engineers.
Somebody must conduct the research.
Somebody must train the doctors.
Somebody must design the technology.
Somebody must analyse the economy.
Somebody must manage the institutions.
Somebody must develop the next generation of academics.
That somebody is the university system.
And KASU is part of that system.
CONCLUSION
SAVE KASU — THEN REBUILD IT
The present KASU controversy should not be reduced to the question of whether more than 200 lecturers have resigned.
That figure must be independently verified because KASU management disputes it. (The Sun Nigeria)
But the dispute should not become an excuse for inaction.
The underlying questions about staff welfare, institutional competitiveness, research capacity, governance and financing are too important to ignore.
Kaduna should therefore move immediately from crisis management to institutional reconstruction.
The state should:
AUDIT.
VERIFY.
NEGOTIATE.
SETTLE VERIFIED OBLIGATIONS.
RETAIN TALENT.
RECRUIT STRATEGICALLY.
MOBILISE TETFund.
ENGAGE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUILD DEVELOPMENT-PARTNER PROJECTS.
ATTRACT AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK SUPPORT.
EXPLORE ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK FINANCING.
PURSUE WORLD BANK-ALIGNED PROGRAMMES THROUGH APPROPRIATE FEDERAL/STATE CHANNELS.
BUILD PRIVATE-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS.
ESTABLISH A KASU ENDOWMENT.
MOBILISE THE DIASPORA.
CREATE PROFESSORIAL CHAIRS.
FUND RESEARCH.
BUILD HOUSING.
SECURE ENERGY.
DIGITALISE THE UNIVERSITY.
REFORM GOVERNANCE.
MEASURE RESULTS.
The most important point is this:
INTERNATIONAL MONEY SHOULD NOT BE USED TO HIDE DOMESTIC GOVERNANCE FAILURE.
Foreign grants cannot replace the state’s responsibility.
TETFund cannot replace the state’s responsibility.
Philanthropists cannot replace the state’s responsibility.
The private sector cannot replace the state’s responsibility.
They should complement it.
The Kaduna State Government must remain the anchor institution and anchor financier of KASU.
But it should no longer be the only strategic financier.
That is the difference between merely keeping a university alive and building a university capable of competing.
And Kaduna has a unique opportunity because Nigeria already possesses a national ecosystem capable of supporting the transformation.
TETFund lists KASU as a beneficiary institution. (TETFund)
TETFund’s 2026 intervention cycle provides substantial support to public universities. (TETFund)
Its research intervention framework supports multidisciplinary research across a broad range of strategic areas. (TETFund)
Nigeria’s current federal tertiary-education roadmap explicitly anticipates collaboration among government, TETFund, development partners and private investors. (Planipolis)
The African Development Bank is already supporting Nigerian university revitalisation, skills and energy infrastructure. (African Development Bank)
The World Bank has a major active portfolio in Nigeria, including human-capital and education-related financing. (World Bank)
And international institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank have demonstrated their willingness to finance major higher-education infrastructure in the region. (Islamic Development Bank)
Therefore, the money ecosystem exists.
The question is whether Kaduna can develop the institutional capacity, project discipline, legal compliance, financial transparency and political leadership required to access it.
That is the real challenge.
THE KASU FORMULA
I would summarise the entire strategy in one formula:
STATE FUNDING
TETFUND
FEDERAL SUPPORT
RESEARCH GRANTS
DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
PHILANTHROPY
PRIVATE SECTOR
ALUMNI & DIASPORA
ENDOWMENT
INNOVATION & COMMERCIALISATION
STRONG GOVERNANCE
=
A FINANCIALLY RESILIENT KASU
But there is another equation that Kaduna must never forget:
Poor governance
unpredictable funding
weak research
poor staff retention
=
INTELLECTUAL-CAPITAL FLIGHT.
That is the choice before Kaduna.
This is therefore not simply a question of whether ASUU will strike.
It is not merely a question of whether lecturers will resign.
It is not merely a question of how much money Kaduna owes.
It is a question of whether Kaduna will build the intellectual infrastructure required for its next generation.
Because roads move people.
Power moves industries.
Capital builds companies.
But knowledge builds the people who build everything else.
And if Kaduna loses its intellectual capital, it will eventually pay a much larger price than the cost of retaining its professors today.
KASU must not merely survive this crisis.
KASU must emerge from it stronger.
KASU must become an institution Kaduna can export knowledge from—not an institution from which Kaduna exports its academics.
That should be Governor Uba Sani’s challenge.
And it should become one of his most important institutional legacies.
By Ibrahim BUNU
Policy and analytical note: The recommendations concerning funding diversification, donor engagement, endowment structures, PPPs and international development finance are strategic proposals, not claims that KASU or Kaduna State has already secured those funds. Any actual financing must be structured and implemented under applicable Nigerian laws, procurement rules, university governance requirements, donor conditions and financial regulations.
