Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress have commenced a nationwide protest against the worsening security situation across Nigeria, with early gatherings taking place at the Nigeria Labour Congress Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
Okay News reports that prominent labour leaders and civil society activists were already present at the venue as preparations for the protest gained momentum. Among those sighted were the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, alongside several civil society allies who have consistently spoken against insecurity and economic hardship in the country.
Also present at the Secretariat were Omoyele Sowore and members of the Revolution Now Movement, a civic group known for advocating governance reforms and accountability. Their presence further highlighted the broad coalition of labour groups and civil society organisations participating in the demonstration.
Security agencies were visibly deployed around the protest location to maintain law and order. Personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and officials of the Department of State Service were stationed at strategic points around the Secretariat.
Ahead of the protest, Ajaero had reiterated that the planned nationwide action would proceed as scheduled. Speaking shortly after a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Nineteen Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, in Gombe, the state capital, the labour leader dismissed speculation that the protest might be called off.
“I am not sure you have gotten any contrary view that it is not holding. So, unless you have gotten a contrary view, then we can take it from there. The protest is to help this country – to call to attention the effect of insecurity,” he stated.
The Nigeria Labour Congress President expressed concern over the growing impact of insecurity on Nigeria’s economy, warning that persistent violence and criminal activities were discouraging both local and foreign investors. According to him, insecurity “is affecting even investors coming into this country”.
Ajaero explained that the protest was aimed at drawing the government’s attention to its responsibility to address worsening economic hardship, insecurity, banditry, and other social challenges confronting Nigerians.
Providing examples of how insecurity has directly affected workers, he said, “Many workers are being kidnapped on a daily basis. People are killed. In the case of Kebbi, the person killed was a teacher.
“The children who are kidnapped are the children of workers. So, we need to ask the government to help them fish out the perpetrators of this.”
He further called on Nigerians to collectively confront the problem of insecurity, urging a reassessment of societal values. According to him, banditry and kidnapping for ransom are practices that are alien to Nigeria’s cultural values.
Speaking further, Ajaero added, “Unless the government is interested in giving us what is called an insecurity allowance because most of the workers kidnapped borrow money, look for someone to pay for their ransom.”
He stressed that peaceful protest remained the most effective contribution labour could make in demanding change, noting that workers were not armed and could not pursue criminals themselves.
“So it’s getting to a dimension that we have to equally add our own. We don’t have a gun, we don’t have matchet to go into the bush to look for the people involved, but this is our only contribution, the only way that we are going to tell Nigerians and the international community that this should stop.
“This is not the culture of Nigerians – culture of banditry and insecurity is not the culture of Nigerians. So, we have to condemn it moving forward, and then with that, you strengthen the hands of those in authority to make sure that this does not continue.”
