Relief as ASUU Suspends Warning Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike for one month to allow further negotiation with the Federal Government following the intervention of stakeholders.

ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, announced the suspension of the strike on Wednesday at ASUU’s national secretariat at the University of Abuja after an emergency National Executive Council meeting. 

He said the suspension followed progress in talks with government officials concerning their outstanding issues. 

The ASUU President said the union received the Federal Government’s offer through the Yayale Ahmed-led FGN Renegotiation Team, disclosing that the offer was presented to members and deliberated upon at the NEC meeting, which lasted from Tuesday into about 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

Piwuna said progress has been made with regards to the issues but said union members unanimously rejected the 35 per cent salary increment component of the draft agreement.

He said although the offer represented a shift from the government’s previous position, it fell short of expectations after about eight years of ASUU’s face-off with the government over unmet demands.

Piwuna said the union recognised the government’s commitment to addressing the outstanding issues, as the offer was made with timelines.

According to him, the union believes that the offer was made with the knowledge of President Bola Tinubu and urged the President to ensure that the right steps are taken before the expiration of the one-month window.

He said: “When we gathered here about ten days ago to painfully declare a warning strike, it was a decision that left us with no other choice. This was because the government would not respond to several overtures urging it to address the lingering renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and other issues affecting the welfare of our members and the repositioning of Nigerian public universities to enable them to deliver on their mandate.

“As responsible citizens, we were and are still convinced that it was the most expedient thing to do to save our university system from imminent collapse — a cause we have championed for more than three decades.

“As you are aware, the Federal Government responded to our declaration of a warning strike with threats of salary denial and directives to Vice-Chancellors on ways to make the Union’s action ineffectual.

“However, we can report that ASUU has had useful engagements with representatives and agents of government in the last one week.

“The ASUU team met on Thursday, 16th, and Saturday, 18th October 2025, respectively, with the Yayale Ahmed-led FGN Team to consider the government’s response to the Draft Renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement. Another date was also fixed for the next round of deliberations by the two teams at the last meeting.

“We certainly have not achieved the twin objectives of concluding the renegotiation, which started way back in 2017, and fully addressing other lingering issues.

“However, we are definitely not where we were prior to and at the commencement of the strike. This poignantly shows that had the government positively responded to the Union’s earlier notices and appeals, there would have been no need for the strike in the first place.”

The ASUU President commended the intervention of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and members of the National Assembly, saying the Union must acknowledge the swift intervention of the Senate Committees on Tertiary Education and TETFund, and Labour, led by their respective Chairmen.

Piwuna said: “The union’s engagements with the two committees on Friday, 19th October 2025, and a follow-up meeting with the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, the same day, appeared promising in amicably resolving all the outstanding issues.

“Our members place a lot of hope on the strong promises made by these distinguished Senators. We look forward to working with them to fully deliver on their promises.

“The union acknowledges that the government has returned to the negotiating table — a feat that was impossible for almost one year. All issues related to this development have been faithfully reported to ASUU members nationwide and were comprehensively interrogated at an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of our Union held 21st–22nd October 2025.

“While noting that much more work is still required, NEC came to the conclusion that the objective of the warning strike had been partly achieved.

“Hence, it was decided that the ongoing strike be reviewed to allow for a conducive atmosphere for further engagements between the two parties. The decision to review the action was borne out of respect for our students and their parents, the media, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and other well-meaning Nigerians who have mediated over the last ten days and have continued to do so.

“We owe them a great debt of gratitude for their understanding, resilience, and demonstration of solidarity.

“Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the overwhelming support of Nigerians. In addition, NEC resolved that a one-month window should be given to the government to conclude the ongoing renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and fully address other outstanding issues.

“NEC hopes that the government will take advantage of this opportunity to timeously resolve all the issues to guarantee industrial harmony and ensure stability in our academic calendar, as it has always promised.

“In summary, the emergency NEC meeting resolved that: the warning strike is hereby suspended with effect from midnight, Wednesday, 22nd October 2025; should the government fail to resolve the issues within the one-month window, ASUU reserves the right to resume strike action without further notice; and ASUU appeals to patriotic Nigerians and stakeholders in education to prevail upon the government to speedily conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and other outstanding issues.”

The union declared a two-week warning strike on October 12 to press home its demands.

Piwuna said the union would not have embarked on the strike if the Federal Government had responded to its demands. 

Piwuna listed ASUU’s seven demands as the re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of universities, an end to the alleged victimisation of ASUU members in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University) and FUTO, payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, settlement of promotion arrears spanning over four years, and remittance of outstanding third-party deductions.