President Bola Tinubu met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday night, as organized labor prepared to conduct a statewide protest over unresolved demands.
The conference, held at the State House in Abuja, came in the wake of mounting tensions between the Federal Government and labor unions over topics such as worker welfare, rising living costs, and the execution of previously agreed-upon concessions.
Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, confirmed the meeting in a statement made Tuesday night, revealing that key stakeholders were in attendance.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with the leadership of the NLC, along with the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma; the governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo; the governor of Kebbi State, Dr. Nasir Idris; and the minister of state for labor, Honourable Nkeiruka Onyejeocha,” the statement partly read.
According to the statement, the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress led the organization to the conference.
“The chairman of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, led the labor leaders to the meeting on Tuesday night at the State House, Abuja,” it added.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of the NLC’s recent threat to embark on mass protests nationwide over what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to fully address workers’ demands, including relief measures to cushion the impact of economic reforms, wage-related concerns, and broader socio-economic hardships faced by Nigerian workers.
Organized labor accused the government of delaying the execution of past agreements, warning that failing to act decisively could result in industrial discontent and street protests in major cities.
As of the time of posting this article, neither the federal government nor the NLC’s leadership has disclosed any specifics about the discussions or the meeting’s outcome.
