The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced the suspension of its ongoing two-week warning strike.
The National President of the union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Piwuna, the decision followed the outcome of an extended meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC), which lasted overnight and concluded around 4:00 a.m.
He explained that the union embarked on the strike due to the government’s delay in addressing lingering issues affecting university lecturers and the public university system.
“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike,” Piwuna stated.
He added that the union’s leadership acknowledged renewed dialogue efforts from the Federal Government and interventions from various stakeholders.
“The union acknowledged that the government returned to the negotiation table. While noting that a lot more work is still required, NEC came to the conclusion that the ongoing strike should be reviewed.
The decision to review the strike action was a result of efforts by our students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians,” he said.
ASUU had earlier declared the warning strike on Monday, October 13, citing the government’s failure to fulfil previous agreements.
The union’s key demands include:
Conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement.
Release of withheld three and a half months’ salaries.
Sustainable funding and revitalisation of public universities.
End to the alleged victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.
Payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, promotion arrears, and withheld third-party deductions (including cooperative and union dues).
With this suspension, academic activities are expected to resume across public universities nationwide, as ASUU awaits the government’s next steps in meeting its commitments.