ASUU suspends warning strike

 

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the suspension takes effect from midnight of Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

However, Piwuna warned that the union would not hesitate to resume the strike if the government failed to meet its demands within the next four weeks.

ASUU’s position aligns with that of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which earlier threatened to join forces with the union.

At a meeting with ASUU and NLC, on Monday, Labour issued a 4-week ultimatum to the federal government to resolve all issues it has with the union and all other tertiary institution-based unions.

It threatened that should the federal government fail to conclude negotiations with all tertiary institution-based unions within the stipulated time, it would not hesitate to take drastic actions by activating all the necessary instruments.

“We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU but the problem in this sector goes beyond ASUU.”

“That is why we are extending this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NEC will meet and take a nationwide action that all workers in the country, all unions in the country will be involved so that we get to the root of all this.

“The era of signing agreements, negotiations and threatening the unions involved, that era has come to an end,” Joe Ajaero, NLC President, had said.

Daily Trust reports that the interactive session was held after the conclusion of a meeting between the NLC and leaders of tertiary institution-based unions including ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT.

.On October 13, 2025, Prof. Piwuna had declared a two-week “total and comprehensive” strike after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government

The union premised its decision to shut down universities for two weeks upon unresolved issues relating to staff welfare, infrastructure, salary arrears, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.

However, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the union shouldn’t have gone on any strike because talks had reached a final phase, and that the government had released N50bn for earned academic allowances and allocated N150bn in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment to be disbursed in three installments.

Subsequently, the minister directed the enforcement of “No work, no pay policy”