The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has officially suspended the two-week warning strike that commenced earlier this month, with the decision taking effect from midnight on Wednesday, 22 October 2025. The National President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the suspension at a press briefing in Abuja, noting that the move followed engagements and interventions from various stakeholders, including the Senate. However, Professor Piwuna issued a firm caution, stating that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) resolved to resume the industrial action if the Federal Government fails to meet all outstanding demands within the next four weeks.
The NLC had earlier threatened to escalate the industrial dispute by mobilising a nationwide action that would involve all workers if the issues with tertiary institution-based unions were not resolved within a stipulated period.
The NLC’s position was communicated on Monday following an interactive session with the leaders of unions in the tertiary education sector, including ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). At the meeting, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced the four-week ultimatum, making it clear that the problems in the education sector extended beyond just ASUU’s grievances and affected other unions.
Mr Ajaero stressed that should the government fail to conclude negotiations with all the tertiary institution-based unions within the four-week deadline, the NLC’s organs would convene to activate all necessary instruments for a nationwide action. The NLC President declared that all workers and unions in the country would be involved in the drastic action to resolve the root causes of the recurring industrial disputes in the sector. He warned that the era of government signing agreements and subsequently threatening the unions had come to an end.
The NLC also used the opportunity to condemn the government’s previous application of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against striking ASUU members, proposing a converse ‘No Pay, No Work’ stance. The labour body maintained that a vast majority of strike actions in Nigeria are a direct consequence of the government’s failure to honour collective agreements.The current truce is therefore a high-stakes period for the Federal Government to address issues such as the implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries, and the sustainable funding of public universities.
