The eight-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria (ASUU) has been put on hold.
The move was announced on social media on Friday, October 14, by ASUU, the national union representing university teachers, but it is unclear when classes will resume.
Intense negotiations between ASUU and government representatives took place at a meeting in Abuja that was mediated by House of Representatives members, according to local media.
“Let all of us working together and the members of the House of Representatives working together, put a beautiful end to this thing we have started so that every Nigerian will be proud that we have the universities we can be proud of,” local media quoted ASUU president Emmanuel Osodeke.
“I want to appeal that in future we should not allow the strike to linger. Strike should not go beyond two days,” Osodeke added.
A number of rounds of negotiations with the government had taken place prior to this statement without success. A judge ordered the lecturers to cease their strike last month, but their union appealed the ruling.
Since February 14, millions of students worldwide have been staying at home as part of the most recent wave of strikes, which are frequent in Nigeria.
According to the National Institutions Commission of Nigeria, there are more than 100 public universities in the nation with a total enrollment of about 2.5 million students. At least 15 recorded strikes have taken place in the universities since 2000.
The lecturers on strike called for a reassessment of their working conditions, particularly the method by which the government distributes their compensation, increased financing for institutions, and the payment of their salaries delayed since the strike began.
After months of anticipation, the strike’s postponement is a huge relief for the students.
