The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that its recently suspended warning strike achieved part of its objective, as it successfully pushed the Federal Government back to the negotiation table.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television, where he explained that the union’s main goal was to get the government’s attention on unresolved issues affecting university lecturers and the education sector.
According to him, the union’s decision to embark on the strike was not taken lightly, but it was necessary to make the government act on long-standing agreements.
“Our union believes that our objective has been partly achieved. Each time you go on a warning strike, your intention is to draw attention to the issues between you and your employer,” he said.
“Through the ultimatum and the strike, we have been able to get the federal government negotiating team to come back to the table to discuss substantive issues in our agreement.”
Prof. Piwuna said both ASUU and the government’s team had now exchanged positions on key issues, opening the door for more detailed discussions. He described the renewed engagement as a major milestone, pointing out that previous efforts by different committees since 2017 had failed to produce meaningful progress.
He recalled that past negotiation teams, including those led by Baba Lakin and Prof. Nimi Briggs, could not resolve the critical issues, but expressed optimism that the current process would yield better results.
Speaking further, the ASUU president said one of the union’s major demands — the payment of third-party deductions — was already being addressed. He explained that several ASUU branches had confirmed receiving their check-off dues, while more payments were expected in the coming days.
“The Chairman of the Federal Government’s team, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, has also promised to follow up on promotion arrears, the 25–35 percent salary increase, and pension deductions,” he said.
The ASUU leader noted that the union remained hopeful that discussions on the 2009 agreement — a long-standing document covering conditions of service, funding, and university autonomy — would soon be concluded.
That agreement has been at the centre of most ASUU strikes for more than a decade. The lecturers’ union has consistently accused successive governments of failing to implement its provisions, which include improved welfare packages and better funding for Nigeria’s public universities.
Prof. Piwuna also dismissed fears that the “no work, no pay” policy would affect the union’s resolve. He explained that ASUU members were more concerned about addressing the root problems of underfunding and poor working conditions than about temporary salary losses.
“We are not deterred by salary threats,” he said, stressing that the union’s focus remained on securing a fair and lasting agreement that would benefit both lecturers and students.
He noted that the union’s decision to suspend the strike followed appeals from various quarters, including the Federal Government’s negotiation team and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). ASUU, he said, also considered the concerns of students and parents who had been affected by the industrial action.
“We want to go back to school and to our classrooms. We want our students to learn, and we can assure them that they will always be a priority now that we are back to work,” he said.
ASUU had embarked on a two-week warning strike earlier this month to press for the implementation of its demands. The strike disrupted academic activities in public universities across the country, sparking mixed reactions from students and parents.
Many parents had appealed to both the union and the government to resolve the issues quickly, citing the frequent disruption of the academic calendar as damaging to students’ progress.
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, had urged ASUU to return to the negotiation table, promising to address some of the issues raised.
While the union has now resumed work, Prof. Piwuna made it clear that ASUU would continue to monitor the government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises.
He stressed that if the government fails to follow through on its renewed commitments, ASUU would not hesitate to take further action.
The return to talks has raised hopes that a lasting solution could finally be reached after years of recurring disputes between ASUU and the Federal Government.
Students and parents, however, remain cautiously optimistic, urging both sides to ensure that the latest round of negotiations does not end like previous ones — with more promises and fresh strikes.
