Court Orders Federal Gov’t To Register NANTS As New Varsity Workers’ Union

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has ordered the Federal Government to register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) as a trade union, ending a legal battle over the recognition of the newly formed labour body.

Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, in a judgement delivered in suit number NICN/ABJ/345/2023, directed the Registrar of Trade Unions and other relevant authorities to immediately register NANTS and issue it a certificate of registration in line with the Trade Unions Act. The judgement, a copy of which was made available to journalists on Tuesday, followed an action instituted by Comrade Niyi Akinnibi on behalf of the association.

The suit named the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Minister of Labour and Employment, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants. The claimant sought an order compelling the government to recognise NANTS as a duly registered trade union representing non-teaching staff in Nigerian universities.

In the ruling, Justice Obaseki-Osaghae declared that the refusal of the Registrar of Trade Unions and the Minister of Labour and Employment to register the association was unlawful.

“A declaration is hereby made that the defendants are bound to register the claimant’s National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a Trade Union under the Trade Union Act,” the court held.

The judge further ruled: “A declaration is hereby made that the refusal of the first and second defendants to register the claimant’s National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a Trade Union under the Trade Unions Act is wrongful.”

The court also issued a mandatory order directing the relevant authorities “to register forthwith and or to issue the claimant forthwith with the certificate of registration of the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a Trade Union under the Trade Unions Act.”

In addition, Justice Obaseki-Osaghae granted “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies, assigns or any other person or authority deriving authority from them from denying claimant registration as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.”

NANTS emerged after a group of university workers broke away from the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU). The association has established branches across federal and state universities nationwide and has been seeking formal recognition to operate as an independent trade union.