The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has accused the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) of perpetrating labour injustices, neglecting worker welfare, and targeting union leaders. NASU has warned that if these issues are not addressed, it will take drastic action by shutting down WAEC offices across Nigeria.
According to reports during a press conference at the union’s secretariat in Ikeja on Monday, NASU’s National General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, made the allegations, accusing WAEC of breaching a legally binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed on March 10 at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja. Adeyemi condemned WAEC’s continued victimisation of workers and its suppression of trade unionism, stating that the examination body had failed to honour the terms of the agreement.
The union also cited an internal memo issued by WAEC on January 16, which ceased the deduction of NASU’s check-off dues. NASU sees this move as a retaliatory measure following their lawful strike and a direct attack on union activities. In response to these developments, NASU has threatened to initiate a nationwide strike, with plans to shut down WAEC offices beginning March 24 if the demands are not met. The union has formally informed the Federal Ministry of Labour, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and other relevant authorities of its planned action.

This dispute stems from an earlier strike by NASU, which had demanded the full implementation of a 30% salary increment, agreed upon in December 2024. WAEC, however, reduced the increment to 27.5%, prompting accusations from NASU of retaliatory actions against its members. In addition to the salary dispute, NASU expressed concerns over WAEC’s refusal to resume check-off dues deductions, despite the MoU’s provisions to the contrary.
According to Adeyemi, WAEC’s actions breach Section 5(3)(a) of the Labour Act, which requires employers to deduct and remit union dues without the need for additional consent. He further argued that WAEC’s demand for individual consent for dues deductions, introduced in an internal memo on March 14, violates both Nigerian labour laws and international conventions.
NASU has also accused WAEC of undermining union leadership, alleging plans to transfer NASU officials in a bid to weaken the union’s presence within the organisation. The union is demanding full compliance with the March 10 MoU, including the automatic deduction and remittance of check-off dues, and the cessation of any retaliatory transfers of union leaders. NASU has given WAEC seven days to comply with their demands, warning that failure to do so will result in legal action.