The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike, which began on October 13, 2025, following renewed commitments from the Federal Government and the National Assembly to address the union’s long-standing demands.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the suspension at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, citing recent engagements with the Yayale Ahmed-led committee and interventions by the Deputy Senate President as decisive factors in the union’s decision to call off the industrial action ahead of schedule.
Professor Piwuna explained that the suspension will last for one month, during which the Federal Government is expected to take concrete steps toward fulfilling ASUU’s key demands.
These include the review of the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government Agreement, payment of outstanding salaries and earned academic allowances, and release of funds for university revitalisation, among others.
“This one-month suspension should not be mistaken for a sign of weakness,” Professor Piwuna warned. “If, at the end of this period, the government fails to make tangible progress, the union will not hesitate to resume the strike without prior notice.”
On October 12, ASUU declared a two-week total and comprehensive strike following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government on September 28.
The union cited the government’s continued failure to address issues bordering on staff welfare, infrastructural decay, non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, and unpaid salary arrears as reasons for the industrial action.
‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy
In response, the Federal Government criticised the strike, insisting that it was already working to meet ASUU’s demands. The Ministry of Education subsequently directed all universities to enforce the “No Work, No Pay” policy, in line with labour law provisions.
“The Federal Government reiterates its stance on the enforcement of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule for any employee who fails to perform official duties during the strike period,”
a circular from the ministry stated.
Vice-chancellors were also ordered to conduct roll calls and physical headcounts of academic staff and submit compliance reports indicating those present at work.
The Nigerian Senate intervened last week in a bid to avert a prolonged disruption of academic activities.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s slow response, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Aliyu Dandutse, described the situation as “unacceptable.”
After a closed-door session with ASUU leadership, Dandutse announced that the Senate would immediately commence a negotiation process involving key stakeholders — including ASUU, the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC) — to pursue a lasting resolution to the crisis.
He also disclosed that the Senate would engage with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to resolve the lingering dispute over the University of Abuja land.
With the warning strike now suspended, the ball is squarely in the Federal Government’s court. The next four weeks will determine whether the fragile truce between the government and the nation’s university lecturers endures — or if the campuses once again fall silent under the weight of industrial action.
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