Nigeria’s streets became a focal point of discontent yesterday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) orchestrated a nationwide protest, demanding urgent government action against the country’s escalating insecurity. Thousands of workers and civil society allies converged, urging the federal government to deploy its full machinery to reclaim communities, safeguard citizens, and restore public confidence. A central demand from the NLC was the immediate arrest and prosecution of individuals identified as financiers of insecurity, a pervasive issue that has crippled daily life and economic stability across the nation.

The demonstrations, which saw significant participation across various states, underscored the gravity of Nigeria’s security challenges. In the capital, Abuja, the protest faced heavy security deployment, with participants halted near the Ministry of Finance, preventing their advance from Labour House. Despite the early curtailment in Abuja, the NLC maintained its resolve, asserting that the nationwide action was a critical call for accountability and decisive governmental intervention.

NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, clarified that the protests were not aborted despite a recent late-night meeting with President Bola Tinubu. Ajaero dismissed “insinuations” that the dialogue with the president meant a cancellation of the planned demonstration, stating that meeting the president was distinct from calling off a national action. He emphasized that the NLC operates through established communication channels and had not issued any directive to suspend the protests.

During their engagement with President Tinubu, the NLC leaders presented a comprehensive list of grievances, encompassing both physical and financial insecurity plaguing the nation. Discussions included the persistent crises in tertiary institutions, which often lead to protracted strikes by unions like ASUU, SSANU, and NASU, and the long-standing industrial action by health workers under JOHESU. President Tinubu reportedly acknowledged these concerns, agreeing to establish a negotiating machinery for tertiary institutions and pledging to address the health sector dispute.

The NLC also pressed the President on the broader issue of physical insecurity, lamenting the inadequate equipment for security forces. While President Tinubu reportedly assured that significant progress was underway to procure modern hardware and bring an end to insecurity, the labour union stressed the need for these assurances to translate into tangible improvements for citizens. The NLC further highlighted the country’s economic hardship, urging that any claimed economic recovery must be reflected in the pockets of ordinary workers.

The protests brought into sharp focus the devastating human and economic toll of insecurity. The NLC revealed alarming statistics, noting that since 2009, over 2,295 teachers have been killed by insurgents and bandits, with more than 19,000 displaced in states like Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. The education sector has suffered immensely, with over 910 schools destroyed and approximately 1,500 learning centres forced to close or convert into internally displaced persons’ camps.

The healthcare sector has not been spared, with 35% of facilities in the North-East destroyed by terrorism and 50% rendered inaccessible. The NLC cited dozens of health workers kidnapped or killed between 2021 and 2024, exacerbating an already critical shortage of medical professionals. Beyond direct violence, labour leaders argued that socio-economic injustice, widening inequality, corruption, and insufficient funding for education and health systems are significant drivers of the pervasive insecurity, costing the nation an estimated ₦300 billion during a single JOHESU strike.

Human rights activist Femi Falana, SAN, a prominent figure at the Lagos protest, echoed the NLC’s concerns, warning of the country’s precarious state due to insecurity. Falana called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of 400 alleged terrorism financiers, whose cases reportedly stalled since 2021. He emphasized that true physical security remains unattainable without addressing fiscal and social security challenges, advocating for job creation, poverty alleviation, and the provision of palliatives for vulnerable Nigerians following recent economic reforms.

Across states like Kebbi, Osun, Kano, Enugu, Delta, and Abia, NLC chairmen and their affiliates presented letters to state governors and legislative assemblies, conveying the unified demand for decisive action. While some state officials acknowledged the grievances and promised to relay them to the presidency, the NLC maintained that the protests served as a powerful reminder to the government of its primary responsibility to secure the lives and welfare of its citizens.

NLC President Ajaero also expressed strong disapproval of the increasing tendency by security agencies to intervene in what are fundamentally industrial relations matters. He stated that deploying heads of security institutions to negotiate with labour unions was inappropriate and could be perceived as an attempt to intimidate, asserting that such matters fall under the purview of the Office of the Secretary to the Government and the Ministry of Labour. The NLC signaled its intention to return to the drawing board to strategize on its next steps, including the potential continuation of protests.

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Keywords: Nigeria insecurity, NLC protest, Insecurity financiers, Labour Congress demands, President Tinubu security talks, Economic hardship Nigeria, Femi Falana calls, Nationwide security crisis