NLC to Shut Down Nigeria: Nationwide Protest Slated for December 17 Over Escalating Insecurity
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a firm date for a nationwide protest in response to the country’s rapidly worsening security crisis, setting the mobilization for December 17, 2025.
The decision was formalized in a communiqué issued after the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on December 4, 2025, in Lagos. The union’s action is directly triggered by the alarming surge in kidnappings and banditry across the country, specifically citing the recent abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State on November 17, 2025, during which two school staff members were tragically killed.
The Union’s Demand: Accountability for School Attacks
The NLC expressed deep concern over the “alarming level” of kidnappings targeting school children, which they say requires immediate, decisive action from the Nigerian government.
The NEC-in-Session issued a strong demand for immediate and thorough investigation and prosecution of all individuals involved in the alleged withdrawal of security personnel from the affected school in Kebbi.
NLC President Joe Ajaero emphasized that the union will not tolerate the ongoing insecurity. The union is determined to find out:
Who gave the instruction for the withdrawal of the soldiers.
Whether the security personnel or leadership were compromised.
The union argues that the government has not done enough to secure schools, particularly those in remote areas or on the fringes of towns, leaving innocent students, pupils, and teachers vulnerable to attack.
Beyond Insecurity: NLC’s Broader Grievances
The NLC’s resolution also addressed several other critical issues affecting Nigerian workers, underscoring the potential for escalated industrial action across multiple sectors.
1. Crisis in Tertiary Education
The NEC reviewed the state of tertiary education, citing chronic underfunding, poor infrastructure, and non-payment of entitlements. The union cautioned the government against using divide and rule strategies in negotiations with academic and non-academic unions and called for a fair remuneration structure for all staff.
2. Health Sector Solidarity
The union reviewed the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), which began on November 14. The NLC expressed concern over the withdrawal of nurses from the action and warned that if ongoing negotiations with the government fail, the NLC and its affiliates will fully join the health sector strike.
3. Labour Party Hijack
The NLC NEC expressed dismay that the Labour Party (LP) has been allegedly hijacked and reduced to an appendage of other political interests. The union directed the immediate withdrawal of NLC members from the various LP committees and urged members to realign the party with core working class principles, ideology, and integrity.
Mobilization and Future Threat
The NEC-in-Session has directed all NLC-affiliates and state councils to fully mobilize for the December 17 nationwide protest.
The union further warned that the Federal Government’s failure to address insecurity and other pressing issues could lead to escalated industrial actions across the health, education, and other critical sectors, signaling a potentially widespread shutdown if their demands are not met.
NLC to declare national day of mourning, protest over insecurity is a YouTube video from the search results that discusses the NLC’s plan to declare a national day of mourning and protest over the country’s insecurity.
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