The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has handed the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to conclude all ongoing negotiations with university-based unions or face a coordinated nationwide shutdown of economic activities.

The warning came on Monday during an interactive session between NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and labour correspondents in Abuja, shortly after a high-level meeting between the congress and leaders of tertiary education unions at the NLC headquarters.

According to Ajaero, the NLC’s patience has been stretched thin by what he described as the Federal Government’s “habitual breach of signed agreements” and its failure to address persistent grievances in Nigeria’s education sector.

“We have decided to give the Federal Government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU, but the problems go far beyond ASUU,” Ajaero declared.

“If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NEC will meet and take nationwide action. All workers in the country, all unions in the country will be involved so that we get to the root of all this.”

Labour Slams ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy

Ajaero also took a swipe at the Federal Government’s “no work, no pay” stance, describing it as punitive and hypocritical.

“The so-called policy of no work, no pay will henceforth be no pay, no work,” he said firmly. “You can’t benefit from an action you instigated. Ninety percent of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements. The era of signing agreements and threatening the unions involved is over.”

ASUU Strike Deepens University Woes

The fresh warning from the NLC comes amid a renewed strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the strike at the University of Abuja after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum earlier issued to the government.

The union said the strike became inevitable due to unresolved issues bordering on staff welfare, unpaid arrears, and non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

Government’s Response

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had earlier said that negotiations were in their final phase, confirming that the government released ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances and earmarked another ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for needs assessment projects to be disbursed in three instalments.

But ASUU dismissed the gesture as “too little, too late,” insisting that the root issues of poor funding, welfare, and neglect remain unresolved.

NLC’s Next Move

Reaffirming its solidarity with ASUU and other academic unions, Ajaero said the NLC would convene an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council to determine the next line of action if the Federal Government fails to act within the four-week window.

“We will not watch the public education system collapse,” he said. “The NLC stands firmly with ASUU and all unions in the education sector in this fight for fairness, dignity, and national progress.”

Background

The Nigerian university system has faced chronic instability for over a decade, with frequent strike actions disrupting academic calendars and pushing many students into uncertainty.

Observers say the coming weeks will determine whether the government takes decisive steps to end the crisis or risks another round of industrial unrest.

Credit: The Punch

A magistrate court sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has ordered the remand of Prince Emmanuel Kanu, brother to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, following their arrest during a peaceful protest demanding the activist’s release.

At least thirteen protesters were reportedly arrested by security operatives during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration held in the Federal Capital Territory. The protest, organised to call attention to the prolonged detention of Kanu despite multiple court rulings ordering his freedom, was said to have been peaceful before the arrests were made.

Those taken into custody include Nnamdi Kanu’s lead counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor; his brother, Fineboy Kanu; Barrister Okere; and ten other individuals. The group was reportedly transferred to the infamous SARS Abattoir detention facility, a location that has in the past drawn criticism from rights activists for alleged cases of human rights violations and torture.

Eyewitnesses at the protest venue said the demonstrators had gathered peacefully, displaying placards and chanting solidarity songs before police operatives arrived to disperse them. Some of the protesters claimed they were manhandled and arrested without resistance.

According to reports, the accused were later brought before the Kuje magistrate court, where the presiding magistrate ordered their remand pending further legal proceedings. The court is expected to hear their bail applications in the coming days.

The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest was part of ongoing efforts by supporters of the IPOB leader to press for his release, following what they describe as “unlawful detention” by the Nigerian government. The protesters insist that several court orders granting him bail have been ignored by authorities, further raising concerns about disregard for judicial processes.

Aloy Ejimakor, who serves as Nnamdi Kanu’s lead counsel, was reportedly addressing journalists shortly before his arrest, reiterating that his client’s continuous detention violates both local and international laws. He also maintained that their demand for justice remains peaceful and within constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, police authorities have yet to issue a formal statement on the arrest and detention of the protesters. Human rights observers have criticised the development, describing it as an attempt to stifle civic expression and lawful dissent.

The arrests have sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with many Nigerians calling for the immediate release of Ejimakor, Emmanuel Kanu, and the other detained protesters. Supporters of IPOB have vowed to continue peaceful demonstrations until their leader is freed.

Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention since his re-arrest in 2021, following his controversial rendition to Nigeria. Despite multiple court judgments ordering his release, he remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has denied claims that its operatives fired live ammunition at protesters during Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja.

The force’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said in an interview on the television programme Politics Today that police only used tear-gas to disperse demonstrators who attempted to breach areas restricted by a court order.

“I can say it authoritatively that no live ammunition was fired today. Not a single live ammunition,” Hundeyin said.

He added:

“It is easy for people who are not familiar with the sound to mistake the firing of tear-gas for live ammunition. It makes the same popping, explosion-like sound. I can say it on good authority that no live ammunition was shot.”

Hundeyin explained that officers resorted to tear-gas only after protesters ignored repeated warnings and attempted to move into prohibited locations.

“We made it clear that we were going to enforce this court order. We gave enough warning to these people to step back and not go beyond where they were, but they were adamant and they were approaching these areas,” he said.

According to Hundeyin, the operatives acted in accordance with standard police procedures and used only minimal force — force that, in his words, was “commensurate with the resistance we were getting.”

On Monday, police reportedly unleashed tear-gas canisters on commuters in the Central Business District of Abuja as activists gathered to commence the protest. Eight protesters were arrested during the first day’s march.

The protest is being led by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate, seeking the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 and is on trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.