ABUJA — In a last-ditch effort to prevent disruption, President Bola Tinubu convened a closed-door meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) late on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the State House in Abuja. The discussions aimed to address the union's grievances ahead of a planned nationwide protest scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, over the country's deteriorating security situation.
The meeting, which commenced around 11:27 p.m., included NLC President Joe Ajaero, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma (Chairman of the Progressive Governors' Forum), Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkeiruka Onyejeocha. It followed the NLC's announcement earlier in December of mass mobilisation for the protest, citing rampant banditry, kidnappings, and failures to protect citizens, particularly schoolchildren.
The NLC's National Executive Council (NEC), during a meeting on December 4 in Lagos, had directed affiliates and state councils to fully mobilise for the December 17 action. The union highlighted recent incidents, including the November 17 abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State—during which two staff members were killed—and another involving over 300 students and teachers in Niger State. The NLC condemned perceived security lapses, such as the withdrawal of personnel from vulnerable schools, and demanded urgent government intervention.
Earlier on Tuesday, the NLC raised alarms about alleged plots by "unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings" to infiltrate and disrupt the protest violently. Despite this, the union had maintained a firm stance, with Ajaero previously describing the action as "sacrosanct."
Post-meeting, Ajaero told State House correspondents that the engagement was consultative. He emphasized that the NLC would deliberate internally and with governors before deciding on the protest. "We came for consultation with the president, and we have finished, so we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow. By tomorrow you will get the outcome," Ajaero said. He stressed collective decision-making within the union: "Whether I am insisting on or not insisting on the protest, I will communicate to you; it is not an organisation that one person rules. Let’s go back; after a meeting of labour and the governor’s forum, we go back to the drawing board and digest all that Mr President said to us and move forward from there."
Governor Uzodimma described the talks as productive dialogue, assuring timely updates. "Consultation is going on; we were dialoguing. Like he said, at the end of the day, you will know what you are supposed to know and what you want to know. What should Nigerians expect? Of course, we are here to serve the country – both the labour, the government and the governed. We are all working in service to the nation," he stated.
Minister Onyejeocha confirmed that the NLC, as citizens, had requested and been granted the audience with the president.
No immediate official statement detailed specific commitments from the presidency, but sources indicated the discussions focused on security enhancements and broader socio-economic concerns, including economic hardship and unresolved labour issues.
As of early Wednesday, reports emerged of NLC members gathering in Abuja and Lagos for the protest, with Ajaero and civil society allies present at the NLC Secretariat. Security forces, including police and the Department of State Services, were deployed to maintain order. Some outlets reported the protest proceeding despite the meeting, underscoring persistent frustrations over insecurity's impact on livelihoods, investor confidence, and daily life.
The planned demonstration has garnered support from civil society groups, with warnings of potential escalation if disrupted. Police had mobilised special forces nationwide, pledging to prevent violence or hijacking.
This development reflects ongoing tensions between organised labour and the government under President Tinubu, amid broader challenges like inflation, poverty—affecting over 139 million Nigerians per World Bank estimates—and persistent banditry in northern regions.
The outcome of the NLC's internal deliberations remained pending as of Wednesday morning, with the union expected to announce its final position soon.
