By John Umeh
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called off its two-week warning strike following renewed commitments from the Federal Government to address long-standing grievances affecting Nigerian universities.
The suspension was announced on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, after a marathon National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja. The meeting reportedly lasted through the night and concluded in the early hours of Wednesday.
ASUU National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, while addressing journalists, said the decision was reached after the government made fresh promises to resolve critical issues that led to the industrial action.
According to him, “The National Executive Council resolved that the two-week warning strike be suspended with immediate effect. However, we want to make it clear that if the government fails to act within one month, the union will not hesitate to resume its suspended action.”
The warning strike, which began on October 13, 2025, was initiated to press for the implementation of key aspects of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement. Among the issues raised were unpaid salaries and promotion arrears, earned academic allowances (EAA), release of third-party deductions, and the revitalisation of federal and state-owned universities.
Professor Piwuna noted that the union’s decision to suspend the strike was largely influenced by the intervention of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, which facilitated dialogue between ASUU and the Federal Ministry of Education.
He added, “There would have been no need for the warning strike in the first place if the government had demonstrated sincerity from the beginning. However, in the spirit of dialogue and in recognition of the Senate’s intervention, we have decided to give the government the benefit of the doubt.”
ASUU’s temporary suspension of the strike has been received with relief by students and parents across the country, many of whom had expressed frustration over the disruption of the academic calendar.
However, the union emphasized that the suspension should not be mistaken for a resolution, warning that it remains ready to return to industrial action if the government fails to deliver on its promises within the agreed timeframe.
