The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has declared its full support for the nationwide protest planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), describing the action as a “national assignment” vital to the country’s survival. The protest is scheduled for December 17, 2025.
In a joint statement signed by the FWF’s National Coordinator, Andrew Emelieze, Secretary-General Comrade Ayo Ogundele, and Mobilisation Officer Aliyu Ibrahim, the forum said federal workers are fully prepared to take part and urged all Nigerians to stand in solidarity.
“This protest is not for workers alone; it is a duty for our collective survival,” the statement said.
The FWF pointed to worsening insecurity, poor governance, decaying public services, and severe economic hardship as reasons for the planned action. It warned that uncertainty and fear have become part of daily life, while governance has sunk to an alarming low.
The forum criticised the government’s handling of public sector labour issues, noting that health workers lack adequate support, education remains underfunded, and many federal workers are still owed salary arrears.
It called on the federal government to pay the outstanding three months of wage arrears owed to federal workers since May 2023 and to clear all backlogs before the end of December 2025.
Emelieze also appealed to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to join the protest, stressing the need for unity within the labour movement.
“The NLC and TUC must work together in solidarity to lead our people toward redemption,” the statement said.
As a symbolic show of continued protest, the FWF proposed that workers wear black on Mondays to express dissatisfaction with the country’s deteriorating conditions. The forum also offered condolences to victims of insecurity and hardship, expressing confidence that Nigerians “shall overcome.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress has raised concerns over the arrest of Alex Agwanwor, Chairperson of its Rivers State Council, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force at the Alagbon Station in Lagos.
In a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC said Agwanwor was arrested around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday at the NLC sub-secretariat in Yaba, shortly after a National Executive Council meeting.
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According to the Congress, eyewitness accounts suggest the arrest may be connected to internal disputes within Agwanwor’s union, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
