Organised labour has called on state governments and local government authorities to take greater responsibility for tackling Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, warning that the failure to act decisively is draining household incomes and restricting citizens’ freedom of movement.
The call follows nationwide protests staged last week by labour unions and civil society groups in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country to draw attention to rising kidnappings, banditry and violent crime, which labour leaders say have become a permanent feature of daily life in many communities.
Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lagos Chapter, Comrade Funmi Sessi, said insecurity had gone beyond isolated incidents and now affects daily life and economic activity.
“The freedom to move across the country has been severely eroded,” Sessi told The PUNCH. “People want to travel, visit family, do business and celebrate with loved ones, but fear of kidnapping and violent attacks has made many routes unsafe.”
She said while security is often discussed as a federal issue, states and local governments must play a more active role because of their closeness to communities.
“States and local governments cannot fold their arms. They are closest to the people, they understand the terrain, and they receive security-related allocations. Nigerians deserve to see concrete results,” Sessi said.
Official data point to the scale of the challenge. The National Bureau of Statistics, in its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024, estimated that between May 2023 and April 2024 there were about 2.24 million kidnapping incidents nationwide. The survey found that households paid an estimated N2.23tn in ransom during the period, with about 65 per cent of affected households making payments averaging N2.67m per case.
In a separate report, Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnapping Industry, research firm SB Morgen said kidnappers demanded more than N48bn from victims and their families between June 2024 and June 2025, though only about N2.57bn was paid. The North-West was identified as the most affected region by violent kidnappings, while the South-South and South-East experienced what the report described as targeted abductions linked to financial and religious motives.
Vice Chairman of the NLC Lagos Chapter, Comrade Olapisi Adebayo Ido, said insecurity persists partly because subnational governments have failed to translate funding into effective action.
“State governments receive special security allocations. The question Nigerians are asking is simple: what are they using the money for?” Ido said. “People are dying daily, and communities are living in fear.”
He said labour expects states and LGAs to invest more in intelligence gathering, community engagement, surveillance and rapid-response mechanisms.
“Nigerians can no longer remain silent. Those at the grassroots level must take ownership of security, not just issue statements,” Ido added.
The labour position comes amid broader national concern over insecurity. In November, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers and the expansion of military operations against kidnappings and terrorism. Nigeria has also stepped up security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, focusing on intelligence sharing and defence support.
Labour leaders said federal efforts would yield limited results without complementary action by states and local councils.
“Security is not something you can centralise completely,” Sessi said. “If states and local governments do not act decisively, the cost will continue to be paid by ordinary Nigerians.”
Organised labour said it would continue to push for accountability across all tiers of government, insisting that the protection of lives and property remains a fundamental duty of governance.
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