The Federal Government has been accused by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of mismanaging the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), allegedly diverting 40% of employee contributions from the fund to the national coffers as revenue in egregious violation of the laws that established the organization.
Starting on Thursday, August 14, 2025, the NLC gave the government seven working days to account for and return all funds that had been diverted; if this was not done, the union would no longer be able to guarantee industrial peace in the sector.
In a statement signed by its president, Joe Ajaero, the NLC announced this at the conclusion of its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
In its statement, NLC characterized the act as a persistent attack on workers’ rights to social protection and a blatant breach of the statutes that established the agency. It declared that the Nigerian working class owned the NSITF and promised to use all legal means to defend the interests of its members.
“The NSITF must account for and return all diverted funds within seven (7) working days from today.
“If at the end of these seven working days, nothing is done, NLC will no longer guarantee Industrial peace in the sector,” The communique partly read.
The NLC denounced the government’s use of cyber and media bullying of trade unions and maintained that these actions are an assault on the rights of Nigerian workers and their hard-earned resources.
“The CWC expressed outrage at the ongoing assault on workers’ social protection rights through the Federal Government’s diversion of 40 per cent of workers’ contributions to the national coffers as ‘revenue,’ in flagrant violation of the statutes establishing the NSITF,” It said.
“Equally condemnable is the new administration’s false claim of ownership of the NLC National Headquarters, a property owned by Nigerian workers, resort to cyber and media-bullying of the trade unions and leadership, coupled with covert moves to amend the NSITF Act in a manner that would disenfranchise workers and give the government full control over the funds.
“The CWC warns that these actions represent a direct attack on workers’ rights, hard-earned resources, and the principle of tripartite governance enshrined in international labour standards.
“The Congress affirms that the NSITF belongs to the Nigerian working class and will mobilise all legitimate means to ensure workers’ interests are protected.”
