NLC Warns of Nationwide Strike Over Protest Disruption Threats

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it will call for a nationwide indefinite strike if there is any attempt to interfere with Wednesday’s National Day of Protest and mourning. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Acting General Secretary Benson Upah revealed that the union had received intelligence suggesting that certain agencies and individuals might try to infiltrate or disrupt the demonstrations.

The NLC emphasized that the protest is a collective act of grief and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security, highlighting the deaths of countless Nigerians amid escalating insecurity and government inaction. The union urged workers, students, traders, and citizens to remain disciplined, peaceful, and united, saying “solidarity is our shield”.

The NLC also called on the police to protect citizens’ democratic right to assemble and express their grievances, noting that the protest was first announced following the union’s National Executive Council meeting on December 4, 2025.

The union expressed concern over the country’s worsening security situation, including the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State, and condemned the withdrawal of security personnel prior to the attack. The NLC also highlighted the deteriorating state of the economy, with approximately 139 million Nigerians living in poverty, according to the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update.

The union warned those plotting to disrupt the protest to desist, stating that any attack on peaceful protesters will be treated as a direct declaration of war on the Nigerian working class and its allies. “If even a single worker, comrade, or citizen is harmed during the protest, the NLC will declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike, shutting down all production, services, and sectors of the national economy,” the statement read.