The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ruled in favour of a newly formed university workers' union, ordering the Federal Government and the Registrar of Trade Unions to process its registration under the Trade Unions Act without further delay.

Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki Osaghae, delivering the judgement in Abuja, declared that the refusal by the Registrar of Trade Unions and the Minister of Labour and Employment to register the National Association of Non Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities was wrongful and directed both officials to issue the association a certificate of registration immediately.

The court also imposed a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and assigns from continuing to obstruct the association's registration rights.

"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 judgement read.

The court further ordered: "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."

The case, filed under suit number NICN/ABJ/345/2023, was brought before the court through Comrade Niyi Akinnibi on behalf of the association's members. The defendants named in the suit were the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Minister of Labour and Employment, and the Attorney General of the Federation.

The court held that the defendants were legally bound to process the registration and that their continued refusal amounted to a wrongful denial of the association's statutory rights.

It was gathered that members of the association had broken away from the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities to establish NANTS, which already maintains branches across state and federal universities in the country.

The ruling marks a significant legal victory for non teaching university staff seeking independent union representation outside the existing structure.