Nigerian university lecturers suspend indefinite strike after 8 months

By Olanrewaju Kola

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) - University lecturers in Nigeria suspended an open-ended strike after eight months strike on Friday following several appeals by authorities and a court order to resume work, a union announced.

The strike was suspended following a court judgement earlier this week and interventions by the country's President Muhammadu Buhari, and the speaker of the national parliament, said a statement by Emmanuel Osodeke, head of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

"In deference to appeals by the President and efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, all members of ASUU are hereby directed to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12:01 on Friday, 14th October, 2022," he said.

Osodeke said the decision was taken by the National Executive Council of the union at a meeting in the capital Abuja on Thursday.

Lecturers in over 70 public universities in the West African country started striking on Feb. 14 over a dispute on funding for a revitalization of public varsities, a payment platform, and allowances, among other things.

Several rounds of negotiations between the government and lecturers have failed, prompting ASUU to declare an indefinite strike starting on Aug. 29.

The federal government approached an industrial court to compel the lecturers to resume work and continue negotiations.

An appeal court earlier in the week upheld the judgement and ordered the lecturers to return to work "immediately."

Despite the latest decision to suspend the strike, the union leader said most of the issues in dispute were yet to be resolved.

Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige assured that the government would continue talks with the lecturers after they resume work.