The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced a nationwide protest scheduled for Thursday, 17 December 2025, citing worsening insecurity, a collapsing tertiary education system, a paralysed health sector, and rising concerns over political interference in the Labour Party.
The decision followed the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Thursday, 4 December, at the NLC Sub-Secretariat in Yaba, Lagos.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the NEC raised strong concerns over the country’s deteriorating security situation.
It referenced the abduction of 24 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Kebbi State on 17 November, an attack in which two members of staff were killed.
The NEC condemned reports that security personnel had been withdrawn ahead of the incident, describing the move as “a dastardly and criminal action.”
It warned that abductions targeting schoolchildren had reached a dangerous level and called for immediate government intervention.
Citing the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update released in October, the NLC stated that an estimated 139 million Nigerians, around 61 to 62 per cent of the population, were now living in poverty, despite ongoing economic reforms.
Also, the NLC urged the Federal Government to strengthen the protection of schools, particularly in remote and high-risk communities, and demanded a full investigation into the Kebbi attack, including the prosecution of officials whose actions or inaction contributed to security lapses.
The communiqué also cited the worsening crisis in the tertiary education sector, pointing to dilapidated infrastructure, outdated research facilities and persistent delays in staff allowances.
NEC accused the Federal Government of deploying divide-and-rule tactics that undermined negotiations and weakened unity among university unions.
It called for a fair and consistent remuneration framework that recognises the distinct roles of different professional groups.
On the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions, which began on 14 November, the NLC condemned the withdrawal of nurses from the action.
It warned that if talks with the government collapsed, the Congress and its affiliates would fully join the strike in solidarity.
The NEC further directed the revival of the Labour–Civil Society Coalition, originally formed during the tenure of former NLC president Adams Oshiomhole, to deepen collaboration between labour groups and civil society organisations.
Turning to political issues, the NLC criticised what it described as the hijacking of the Labour Party by “mercantile interests,” particularly through the actions of the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee.
It resolved to withdraw its members from the committees and begin forming alliances with political parties aligned with working-class values, while maintaining engagement with the Labour Party where possible.
The Congress said the 17 December mass mobilisation was necessary to draw national attention to what it described as government failures on insecurity, economic hardship, industrial disputes and political accountability.
Reassuring its commitment to defending workers and citizens, the NLC called on Nigerians to remain united and resolute in the struggle for national stability and socio-economic justice.
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