The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike declared last week across all public universities in Nigeria.
The suspension was announced on Wednesday by ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, during a press conference held at the union’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Piwuna said the decision followed the intervention of the Senate and other concerned Nigerians, who appealed to the union to give dialogue another chance. He added that the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU resolved to provide the federal government with a one-month window to address the lingering issues that led to the strike.
“AFTER EXTENSIVE DELIBERATIONS AND IN CONSIDERATION OF THE INTERVENTION OF THE SENATE AND OTHER WELL-MEANING NIGERIANS, THE NEC OF OUR UNION HAS DECIDED TO SUSPEND THE TWO-WEEK WARNING STRIKE,” PIWUNA SAID.
“HOWEVER, WE HAVE RESOLVED TO GIVE THE GOVERNMENT A ONE-MONTH GRACE PERIOD TO CONCRETELY ADDRESS ALL UNRESOLVED ISSUES AFFECTING THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.”
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The ASUU president reiterated that the union’s demands include the payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, the release of withheld salaries, revitalisation funds for universities, and the full implementation of agreements reached in previous negotiations.
He warned that if the federal government fails to meet these commitments within the one-month grace period, the union would reconvene to decide on further industrial action.
“THIS SUSPENSION SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS. IT IS A DEMONSTRATION OF OUR COMMITMENT TO DIALOGUE AND TO THE PROGRESS OF THE NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM,” PIWUNA STATED.
He also urged the federal government to act in good faith by fulfilling its promises and ensuring that the current truce leads to lasting industrial peace in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The Senate, which recently held discussions with ASUU leaders and education ministry officials, had appealed for a quick resolution to avoid disruption of the ongoing academic calendar.
Students and parents have welcomed the suspension, expressing relief that academic activities are set to resume across campuses. However, many also urged the federal government to seize the opportunity to address the root causes of the recurring crises in the education sector.
ASUU has long accused the government of neglecting public universities, citing poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, and failure to honour past agreements.
The latest development offers a temporary reprieve for students and lecturers, though the possibility of another strike looms if the government does not act swiftly within the one-month deadline.