The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike, granting the Federal Government a one-month window to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and address other outstanding issues affecting public universities.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the suspension on Wednesday during a press conference in Abuja. He said the decision followed encouraging engagements with government representatives and constructive interventions from the National Assembly.

The warning strike, declared on October 13, 2025, was prompted by what the union described as the government’s persistent neglect in concluding the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement and resolving welfare-related concerns of academic staff.

“When we gathered here about 10 days ago to painfully declare a warning strike, it was a decision that left us with no other choice. The government had ignored our repeated overtures to address issues critical to the survival of Nigeria’s public universities,” Piwuna stated.

Following the commencement of the strike, the Federal Government reinitiated talks with ASUU through a committee led by former Head of Service, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed. The committee met with union representatives on October 16 and 18 to deliberate on the government’s response to the draft renegotiated agreement.

According to Piwuna, while the discussions did not resolve all matters, they signaled more progress than was seen before the strike began.

He also acknowledged the role of the Senate Committees on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Labour, and the intervention of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, whose mediation helped restore optimism for a lasting resolution.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU convened an emergency meeting from October 21 to 22, 2025, where it reviewed the outcomes of the engagements.

“While noting that more work remains to be done, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to allow for a conducive atmosphere for further engagement,” Piwuna said.

He emphasised that the one-month suspension period should be used by the government to conclude the renegotiation process and address pending issues, warning that the union may reassess its stance if commitments are not met within the agreed timeframe.