INDUSTRIAL STRIKE ACTIONS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION SYSTEM: THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK, CAUSES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Industrial strike actions have become a recurring and defining feature of Nigeria’s university system, representing a profound rupture in the academic calendar and a crisis in national development. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between law and industrial strikes within Nigerian public universities, focusing on the persistent disputes between university staff unions—notably the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU)—and the Federal Government of Nigeria. The study examines the historical evolution of trade unionism in Nigerian universities, delineates the governing legal framework from constitutional provisions to specific labour statutes, and diagnoses the multifaceted causes of disputes, from chronic underfunding and wage disparities to the contentious issue of university autonomy.