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The National Industrial Court in Abuja mandated the Federal Government and the Registrar of Trade Unions to formally register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a recognized trade union.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, the National Industrial Court in Abuja ordered the three defendants in the suit, which are the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Minister of Labour and Employment, and the Attorney General of the Federation, to register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.
A copy of the enrolment of judgment order was made available on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
In suit number NICN/ABJ/345/2023, initiated by comrade Niyi Akinnibi, non-teaching university staff approached the court for judicial relief. The claimants are seeking an order to compel the government to recognize and register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a trade union.
The court held that the order was wrong for the first and second defendants to refuse to register NANTS as a trade union. It also restrained the defendants and the agents from denying claimant registration as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.
The judgment read, “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.
” 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.
A mandatory order is hereby made directing the first and second defendants 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.
“An order of perpetual injunction is hereby made 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.
It was gathered that members of the new union pulled out of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities to register the NANTS with branches in all state and federal universities across the country.
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