Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, took to the streets across the country in a coordinated nationwide protest, decrying the worsening state of insecurity and the deepening economic hardship confronting Nigerians.
The protest formally kicked off at the NLC Secretariat, Labour House, Abuja, where union members, civil society activists, and supporters converged in defiance of last-minute efforts by the Federal Government to halt the action.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had met with the NLC leadership late yesterday night in an attempt to avert the demonstration, but the congress’s president, Joe Ajaero, told journalists that the meeting failed to produce any agreement capable of stopping the protest.
According to Channels Television, the Abuja rally was led by Ajaero and featured prominent civil society figures, including former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and members of the Revolution Now Movement, who joined the labour union in demanding urgent state action.
A similar scene played out in Lagos, where protesters assembled in Ikeja, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards calling on the government to decisively confront kidnapping, violent crimes, and the spiralling cost of living.
The atmosphere was charged with anger and frustration, as demonstrators accused authorities of failing to protect lives and livelihoods.
Speaking during the Lagos protest, an NLC member told News Central Television that the scale of the crisis demanded drastic measures.
He said, “Any kidnapper should be sentenced to death. They should kill them immediately”, reflecting the growing public outrage over persistent abductions.
The nationwide protest was first approved at the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on December 4, 2025, as part of a broader response to what the union described as multiple national emergencies.
Central to the union’s agitation is the surge in insecurity, particularly the spate of kidnappings targeting schoolchildren.
In its NEC communiqué, the congress cited the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State on November 17, during which two school staff members were reportedly killed.
The NLC condemned the alleged withdrawal of security personnel from the area before the attack and demanded immediate and decisive government intervention to prevent a recurrence.
Beyond insecurity, the protest also highlights unresolved labour agreements with the Federal Government, the rising cost of living, and the severe impact of violence on workers’ safety, productivity, and means of survival.
The congress lamented the deaths of many of its members, as well as teachers, farmers, miners, and other artisans, attributing the losses to unchecked insecurity and what it called official indifference.
Describing the protest as a civic and patriotic responsibility, the NLC said the action was aimed at galvanising public opinion and compelling authorities to place security, social protection, and governance reforms at the top of the national agenda.
In a circular issued to its state chapters on December 10, the union directed that all demonstrations be peaceful, stressing that the protest is lawful and protected under the Constitution. “The surge in kidnappings, especially those targeting schoolchildren, has reached an alarming and unacceptable level,” the NEC declared.
The NLC also confirmed that security agencies, including the police, were duly notified of the protest and urged them to safeguard citizens exercising their democratic rights. Reaffirming its collective resolve, the congress concluded: “Solidarity is our shield.”
