The management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has secured an order from the National Industrial Court restraining the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) from embarking on a planned indefinite strike over unresolved staff welfare demands.
The court order followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued by the union on July 7, with NASU suspending the industrial action in compliance with the court’s directive while legal proceedings continue.
The dispute has taken a new dimension as the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and the NASU-WAEC Nigeria Branch expressed conflicting views over the underlying causes of the prolonged industrial crisis.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National President, Isah Abubakar, the NYCN alleged that sectional bias contributed to the conflict between WAEC management and the union. The council said its position stemmed from a petition submitted two years ago by a concerned Northerner, who claimed the current Head of National Office, Prof. Amos Dangut, was being unfairly targeted because he is from Northern Nigeria while the organisation’s workforce is largely drawn from the South-West.
According to the NYCN, it independently reviewed developments surrounding the dispute, examined correspondence exchanged between WAEC management and the union, assessed the validity of the union’s demands, and compared the current administration with previous leaderships. The council also said it reviewed recruitment, appointments and deployment patterns within WAEC, including compliance with the Federal Character Principle as provided under Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
The council alleged that recruitment exercises conducted between 2020 and 2024 reflected regional disparities, claiming that the South-West accounted for 273 national staff recruits, while the three northern geopolitical zones collectively received 195. It further alleged that the South-West and South-South accounted for 437 of the 726 national staff recruited during the period.
The NYCN also claimed that all 16 international staff recruited into the Registrar cadre in 2023 were from southern states and alleged that leadership of WAEC Nigeria has historically been dominated by the South-West, which it said occupied the headship of the organisation for 32 of its 56 years of operation.
The group called on relevant authorities to ensure fairness and balanced representation in WAEC by conducting a comprehensive audit of recruitment, appointments, promotions and deployments, publishing Federal Character compliance records, reviewing deployment policies and establishing a transparent monitoring mechanism.
However, the NASU-WAEC Nigeria Branch dismissed the allegations, insisting that its disagreement with management is purely labour-related and should not be viewed through an ethnic or regional lens.
Speaking in an interview, the branch chairman, Comrade Kayode Ogunyade, described attempts to ethnicise the dispute as unfortunate, maintaining that the union’s demands focus solely on workers’ welfare and fair labour practices.
According to the union, the conflict began after the nationwide strike over the new minimum wage in December 2024. NASU said it demanded a 30 per cent salary increase, but alleged that WAEC management obtained board approval for only a 25 per cent increase despite an earlier understanding. The disagreement reportedly triggered a four-day strike before management approved an additional two per cent increase.
The union further alleged that after the strike was suspended, management retaliated against union members by weakening internal labour structures. It accused the council of forcing members of the Senior Staff Association to resign, discontinuing the automatic deduction of union dues and altering disciplinary procedures in ways that disadvantaged workers.
NASU also maintained that repeated appeals for improved staff welfare had been ignored by management, prompting recent protests and plans for another strike. The union further alleged that difficult working conditions during the last West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which it claimed contributed to the deaths of some staff members, formed part of the grievances driving the planned industrial action.
Ogunyade said the union had intended to commence an indefinite strike immediately after the expiration of its ultimatum but suspended the action after WAEC obtained an ex parte order from the National Industrial Court.
He said the union complied with the court directive out of respect for the law and is currently awaiting further instructions from its national leadership while the case remains before the court.
The union also rejected suggestions that the disagreement reflects tensions between Northern and Southern employees, arguing that its activities cover all WAEC offices nationwide. It further claimed that the council’s most recent recruitment exercise actually favoured applicants from Northern Nigeria, stressing that its campaign is aimed at ensuring transparency, fairness and improved staff welfare rather than advancing regional interests.
Another union official, Fashina, said relations between workers and management had been cordial before December 2024 but deteriorated afterward. He alleged that more employees had been unfairly dismissed or sanctioned under the current administration than under the previous three administrations combined.
“The narrative of it being Northerners versus Southerners is false because if you have done well, the issue would not even arise. The essence of the union is to check the management, and if we are not going to serve as a check on management, then there is no point having a union,” he said.
When contacted for a response, a senior WAEC official who requested anonymity declined to comment, citing the ongoing court proceedings.
“I don’t have any comments at this moment. I am not authorised to speak on this matter because it is in court,” the official said.
As the legal battle continues, NASU said its members remain at work while awaiting further directives from the union’s national leadership.
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