By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday announced the immediate suspension of its two-week warning strike, granting the Federal Government a one-month window to finalize the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and address other lingering issues within the nation’s university system.
The union’s President, Professor Chris Piwuna, disclosed the decision during a press briefing in Abuja. He explained that the suspension follows fruitful engagements with a Federal Government team led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed and significant interventions from the National Assembly.
Professor Piwuna recalled that the warning strike, declared on October 13, 2025, was a “painful” decision necessitated by what the union saw as the government’s failure to respond to repeated appeals regarding the 2009 agreement renegotiation and various welfare concerns for lecturers.
Following the strike’s commencement, the government re-engaged the union, with meetings held on October 16 and 18 to discuss the government’s response to the draft renegotiated agreement. Professor Piwuna noted that while the meetings did not fully resolve all issues, he acknowledged that “significant progress” had been achieved compared to the pre-strike deadlock.
The ASUU President also commended the mediation efforts of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and the Senate Committees on Tertiary Education and TETFund, and Labour, stating their interventions had “rekindled hope for a lasting resolution.”
The National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU, after an emergency meeting spanning October 21 and 22, concluded that the warning strike had achieved its primary goal of compelling the government to return to the negotiation table.
Professor Piwuna announced that the suspension was resolved to allow a conducive atmosphere for further engagement, a decision taken in deference to students, parents, the media, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and other well-meaning Nigerians who had shown solidarity.
ASUU, however, issued a firm warning: should the government fail to resolve the outstanding issues within the one-month grace period, the union would be compelled to resume strike action without issuing any further notice. “The struggle continues,” Professor Piwuna declared, urging patriotic Nigerians to prevail on the government to honor its commitments and guarantee stability in the academic calendar.