The National Industrial Court in Abuja has ordered the Federal Government to formally register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) as a trade union, ruling that the continued refusal to grant the association legal recognition was unlawful.
Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae delivered the judgment in suit number NICN/ABJ/345/2023, filed by NANTS through Comrade Niyi Akinnibi. The association had approached the court seeking legal recognition under the provisions of the Trade Unions Act after its registration application was allegedly denied.
Joined in the suit were the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Minister of Labour and Employment, and the Attorney General of the Federation.
In her ruling, Justice Obaseki-Osaghae held that the authorities responsible for trade union registration were obligated to register the association and that their refusal to do so was inconsistent with the law.
The court subsequently directed the Registrar of Trade Unions and the Minister of Labour and Employment to immediately complete the registration process and issue NANTS with a certificate of registration.
According to the judgment, the defendants are bound by law to register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act. The court further declared that the refusal to register the association was wrongful.
The judge also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, representatives, or any authority acting on their behalf from obstructing or denying the registration of the association in the future.
The ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for the representation of non-teaching staff in Nigerian universities, as NANTS moves closer to operating independently with full legal recognition.
The association reportedly emerged following a split from the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), with members seeking a separate platform to champion the interests of non-teaching university workers. Sources indicate that NANTS already has branches and operational structures in several federal and state-owned universities across the country, a factor believed to have strengthened its case before the court.
The judgment marks a significant development in Nigeria’s university labour movement and could reshape the landscape of non-teaching staff representation in higher institutions nationwide.