The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has officially called off its two-week warning strike following a renewed understanding with the Federal Government on key issues affecting Nigeria’s public universities.
The announcement was made by the ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. He disclosed that the decision to suspend the strike was reached after extensive deliberations between the union and a government negotiation team led by former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed. The process also benefited from interventions by members of the National Assembly.
Background of the Strike
ASUU had commenced the warning strike on October 13, 2025, citing the Federal Government’s failure to conclude the long-pending renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, alongside other concerns relating to lecturers’ welfare, university funding, and infrastructural decay across campuses.
The industrial action was intended as a short-term measure to pressurize the government into addressing these issues, which the union said had persisted for years despite several rounds of dialogue and signed memoranda that were never implemented.
During the strike period, the Federal Government re-engaged the union, holding two crucial meetings on October 16 and 18, to deliberate on the updated terms of the proposed agreement and to assess the government’s capacity to meet ASUU’s demands.
Key Resolutions and Progress
While Professor Piwuna acknowledged that not all of the union’s demands had been met, he noted that significant progress had been recorded compared to the pre-strike period. The decision to suspend the industrial action, he said, followed careful consideration by the National Executive Council (NEC), which met between October 21 and 22, 2025, to evaluate the outcomes of negotiations.
According to him, the strike succeeded in “drawing the Federal Government’s attention back to the negotiation table,” thereby reopening discussions that had stalled for months.
“ASUU’s NEC resolved that in the interest of peace and the progress of the Nigerian university system, we shall suspend the ongoing two-week warning strike to allow dialogue to continue in a peaceful and constructive atmosphere,” Piwuna stated.
Role of the National Assembly
The ASUU President commended the Senate Committees on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Labour, and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, for their timely mediation and commitment to ensuring a resolution.
He added that their intervention helped bridge communication gaps between ASUU and the government’s negotiation team, ensuring that discussions yielded tangible steps toward resolving the longstanding issues.
Appreciation to Stakeholders
Piwuna also expressed gratitude to students, parents, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the media, and members of the public for their unwavering support and understanding during the industrial action.
“We remain grateful to all Nigerians who stood by us in this struggle for the revitalization of our universities and the dignity of academic labour,” he said.
Warning to the Federal Government
Despite the suspension of the strike, ASUU cautioned that the union’s patience was not limitless. Professor Piwuna warned that the Federal Government must utilize the one-month window following the suspension to address all outstanding issues or risk a fresh industrial action without further notice.
He emphasized that the union would not hesitate to resume the strike if the government reneged on its commitments.
“ASUU will continue to monitor the implementation of all agreements reached. Should the government fail to honour its promises within the agreed time frame, we will be left with no choice but to resume our suspended strike,” he warned.
Outlook
With the suspension of the warning strike, academic activities across Nigeria’s public universities are expected to resume immediately. Students who had been stranded on campuses or at home for the past two weeks are expected to return to lectures, while university managements have been advised to readjust their academic calendars to accommodate the disruption.
Stakeholders, however, continue to urge both ASUU and the Federal Government to adopt a sustainable approach to resolving the recurring disputes that have crippled Nigeria’s higher education system for decades.
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