Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced the suspension of its two-week warning strike.
The union, however, issued a one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and address other lingering issues affecting the nation’s university system.
ASUU had declared the warning strike on October 13, 2025, citing the government’s failure to respond to several appeals to address the prolonged renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement and other welfare-related concerns of university lecturers.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the suspension on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja.
He said the decision followed “fruitful engagements” with the Federal Government and key interventions from the National Assembly.
“When we gathered here about 10 days ago to painfully declare a warning strike, it was a decision that left us with no other choice,” Piwuna stated. “The government had ignored our repeated overtures to address issues critical to the survival of Nigeria’s public universities.”
He disclosed that following the commencement of the strike, the Federal Government re-engaged the union through a team led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, which met with ASUU representatives on October 16 and 18 to discuss the government’s response to the draft renegotiated agreement.
Piwuna expressed optimism that the government would utilise the one-month window to demonstrate genuine commitment to resolving the outstanding issues and averting another industrial action.
