The Joint Unions of Nasarawa State Tertiary Institutions (JUNSTI) have suspended their industrial action after weeks of disruption, directing academic staff across affected state-owned schools to return to classrooms immediately following fresh assurances on welfare demands.
The decision brings relief to students of Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia; College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia; and College of Education, Akwanga, all of which were shut following disagreements over staff remuneration.
Union leaders said the strike was initially triggered by unresolved issues surrounding the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage, noting that prolonged negotiations with the state government had failed to yield timely results before the work stoppage began.
The unions, operating under JUNSTI, had commenced the indefinite strike on December 24, 2025, while the Nasarawa State Government later appealed for calm and dialogue through its Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Peter Ahemba, on January 2.
At a meeting involving heads of the affected institutions, the rector of Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia, Associate Prof. Nurudeen Mu’azu Maifata, briefed union members on steps being taken by the state government to resolve the dispute and urged a return to academic activities.
He appealed to lecturers to prioritise dialogue and avoid prolonged disruption, warning that extended closures would unfairly deny students access to learning and academic progression across the institutions.
Announcing the suspension at a press briefing on Wednesday in Lafia, JUNSTI chairman Samson Kale Gbande directed members to resume duties “immediately and unconditionally,” citing progress made by the government on key demands.
Gbande praised Governor Abdullahi Sule for efforts toward wage implementation, stating that payment for November and December had commenced, while commending union members for their resolve throughout the industrial action.
