ASUU Suspends Two-Week Warning Strike After Overnight NEC Meeting

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced the suspension of its ongoing two-week warning strike following an extensive meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja.

ASUU National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing held in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to Piwuna, the decision to suspend the industrial action was reached after the NEC meeting, which started on Tuesday and stretched through the night, concluding at about 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

He explained that the union embarked on the warning strike to press for the government’s timely response to its long-standing demands, which include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government Agreement, improved welfare for academic staff, and adequate funding for universities.

“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements,” Piwuna said. “However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike.”

The ASUU president noted that while the suspension was a show of good faith, the union remains watchful of the government’s next steps. He warned that failure to meet its demands within a reasonable time could trigger another round of industrial action.

The two-week warning strike, which began earlier this month, had disrupted academic activities across several federal and state universities, prompting appeals from parents, students, and education stakeholders for a swift resolution.

ASUU’s latest decision brings temporary relief to the academic community, though uncertainty remains over whether the Federal Government will meet the union’s expectations in the coming weeks.