ASUU Suspends Two-Week Warning Strike After Talks With FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike with immediate effect following what it described as encouraging progress in talks with the Federal Government. The announcement was made by ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, on Wednesday at the union’s national secretariat, University of Abuja.

According to Piwuna, the decision to call off the strike was reached after the National Executive Council (NEC) reviewed updates from the negotiation table and noted that government officials had shown a willingness to address some of the union’s long-standing demands. He expressed optimism that the government would take advantage of the suspension period to resolve all outstanding issues, particularly the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

Piwuna, however, warned that the union would not hesitate to resume the strike should the government fail to honour its commitments. He noted that ASUU’s action was never meant to disrupt academic activities but to compel the government to meet its obligations towards the development of public universities and the welfare of academic staff.

The ASUU President explained that the warning strike, declared on October 12, became necessary after years of unfulfilled promises by the Federal Government. He stressed that the union had repeatedly demanded the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement, sustainable funding for universities, revitalisation of public institutions, payment of outstanding salary arrears, and settlement of promotion backlogs. He also mentioned the need for the government to end what ASUU described as the victimisation of its members at certain institutions, including Lagos State University, Kogi State University (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

While acknowledging the progress made so far, Piwuna emphasised that ASUU remained cautious, as previous experiences had shown that the government often failed to follow through on its promises once strikes were suspended. He urged federal authorities to demonstrate sincerity by implementing agreed resolutions without delay, adding that the future of Nigeria’s university system depended on decisive action rather than rhetoric.

The ASUU leader reiterated the union’s commitment to working for the advancement of quality education in Nigeria. He called on the Federal Government to see the suspension as an opportunity to rebuild trust and prevent another round of industrial action. “We did not embark on the strike for pleasure,” he said.

“If the government had acted responsibly earlier, this disruption would have been avoided. Our demand is simple — honour your agreements and fund education adequately.”