The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has restrained three workers’ unions at Kaduna State University (KASU) from embarking on strike or taking any form of industrial action pending the determination of a suit filed by the university’s management.
The order was issued on November 5, 2026, by Justice E. D. Subilim of the court’s Abuja Judicial Division.
The affected unions are the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), all operating at the Kaduna State University.
The court barred the unions, their officers, agents and representatives from declaring, commencing, directing, instigating, encouraging or participating in any strike or industrial action.
It also directed them to stop giving effect to any strike action while the matter remains before the court.
The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/329/2026, was instituted by KASU, its Governing Council and the Vice-Chancellor against the three unions and some of their officials.
The union officials named in the suit include NASU branch chairman, Comrade Nina Ochigbo, and its secretary, Comrade Dahiru Musa. The SSANU officials listed are its chairman, Comrade Sadiya Mustapha, and secretary, Comrade Nicholas Allen.
The court directed the university’s management to ensure that the originating summons, motion on notice, supporting affidavits and a copy of the enrolled order were served on the defendants without delay.
The hearing of the motion on notice was adjourned to November 18, 2026.
Unions Had Issued Seven-Day Ultimatum
The court’s intervention followed a fresh threat of industrial action by the three non-teaching staff unions, operating under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) at KASU.
At a congress on November 2, the unions issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Kaduna State Government and the university management over outstanding agreements and workers’ welfare demands.
Their demands included the implementation of the 2026 Consolidated Non-Teaching Tool Allowance Agreement, payment of approved wage awards and provision of group life insurance for staff.
They also sought payment of the Federal Government-approved ₦70,000 monthly transport support for workers for six months and called for respect for the university’s autonomy.
The unions warned that failure to address the demands within the stipulated period could lead to a warning strike.
They said their position was driven by concerns over fairness, workers’ welfare, institutional autonomy and the implementation of agreements reached with the university and government.
Welfare Disputes Persist
The latest ultimatum came after months of disagreements over outstanding entitlements and conditions of service.
In earlier demands, the unions called for the payment of earned allowances, promotion and pension arrears, outstanding wage awards, and implementation of the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary adjustments.
They also raised concerns over excess workload allowances, group life insurance and other conditions of service.
The Kaduna State Government had previously established a negotiation committee to examine the demands of academic and non-academic staff unions and recommend solutions.
The government also announced financial interventions, including payments to academic staff and the implementation of aspects of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement for KASU lecturers.
However, the latest dispute involves the separate welfare demands of the non-teaching unions, which say several issues remain unresolved.
With the court order now in place, the unions are barred from taking industrial action pending further proceedings. The November 18 hearing is expected to determine the next steps in the case.
The development leaves the university management and the unions facing the task of resolving the outstanding demands through negotiations while the legal process continues.
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