NLC protest Joe Ajaero
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that it will embark on a nationwide protest on December 17, citing what it described as the worsening insecurity across the country.
The decision was announced in a communiqué issued on Monday after the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Lagos.
The document was jointly signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and Acting General Secretary Benson Upah.
According to the communiqué, the NEC deliberated on a series of national and industrial concerns, including the recent abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State.
The Congress condemned the attack, decrying the killing of a school staff member and criticising the withdrawal of security operatives from the school before the incident.
The NEC described the escalating attacks on schools as “alarming,” insisting that the Federal Government must urgently secure all learning environments, especially those in remote and vulnerable communities.
It also resolved to fully mobilise all NLC affiliates and state councils for the December 17 protest, demanding an immediate investigation into the security failures that enabled the Kebbi abduction.
Beyond security, the NEC addressed several other pressing issues, including the crisis in the tertiary education sector, the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and efforts to revive the Labour–Civil Society Coalition (LASCO).
The Congress also expressed deep concern over the current state of the Labour Party, urging members to work toward repositioning the party on the foundation of “working-class principles, ideology and integrity.”
The communiqué warned that failure by the Federal Government to address insecurity and other urgent challenges could trigger broader industrial action across key sectors such as health and education.
Workers’ safety and welfare, the NEC stressed, remain central to the NLC’s mission. It called on Nigerians to stand with workers as they push for a safer country.
The labour body said the December 17 protest would be peaceful but firm in demanding decisive government action. It urged state governments and security agencies to intensify protection for communities and schools, warning that continued neglect poses a threat to national stability.
The NEC reaffirmed its commitment to defending workers’ rights, improving living and working conditions, and promoting social justice and equitable development nationwide.
