ASUU suspends its two-week warning strike after fruitful talks with the Federal Government and Senate intervention, giving authorities one month to conclude the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement renegotiation
ASUU Suspends Two-Week Warning Strike, Gives FG One-Month Ultimatum to Finalise 2009 Agreement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike, granting the Federal Government a one-month window to conclude the renegotiation of the long-standing 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and address other unresolved issues affecting Nigeria’s university system.
The ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja, saying the decision followed “fruitful engagements” with the government and key interventions from the National Assembly.
Piwuna recalled that ASUU declared the warning strike on October 13, 2025, after the government failed to respond to multiple appeals to resolve the protracted renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement and other welfare-related matters affecting university lecturers.
“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 said. “The government had ignored our repeated overtures to address issues critical to the survival of Nigeria’s public universities.”
Following the commencement of the strike, the Federal Government re-engaged ASUU through a team led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, which held meetings with union representatives on October 16 and 18 to deliberate on the government’s response to the draft renegotiated agreement.
While Piwuna noted that the discussions did not fully resolve all outstanding issues, he acknowledged that “significant progress” was made compared to the pre-strike period.
“The engagements, though not conclusive, showed a renewed commitment from the government to resolving the issues at stake,” the ASUU President stated.
ASUU commended the mediation efforts of the Senate Committees on Tertiary Education and TETFund, as well as the Senate Committee on Labour, and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, whose interventions were described as pivotal in restoring dialogue between both parties.
Piwuna noted that the involvement of the legislature had “rekindled hope for a lasting resolution” to the recurrent face-off between ASUU and the Federal Government.
The union’s National Executive Council (NEC) convened an emergency meeting from October 21 to 22, 2025, to review the situation. According to Piwuna, the NEC concluded that the warning strike had achieved part of its objective — compelling the government to return to the negotiation table.
“While noting that more work remains to be done, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to allow for a conducive atmosphere for further engagement,” Piwuna said.
He emphasized that ASUU expects the Federal Government to use the next 30 days to conclude the renegotiation process and implement outstanding commitments related to funding, salaries, and revitalization of public universities.
The suspended strike had raised fears of another prolonged disruption in Nigeria’s university calendar, reminiscent of previous industrial actions.
With the suspension, stakeholders now hope that both ASUU and the Federal Government will seize the opportunity to reach a lasting agreement that addresses funding shortfalls, staff welfare, and university autonomy.
Education analysts also noted that the union’s decision to temporarily suspend the strike demonstrates “a good-faith gesture” toward dialogue — one that puts the onus on the government to deliver tangible results before the new deadline. Read More
