Nigeria’s organised labour movement has turned the spotlight on state and local governments, warning that the country’s worsening insecurity can no longer be treated as a distant federal problem.
As kidnappings, banditry and violent crime deepen across regions, labour leaders argue that the failure of subnational governments to act decisively is costing households trillions of naira, shrinking economic activity and eroding a basic freedom Nigerians once took for granted: the freedom to move.
The renewed call follows nationwide protests staged last week by labour unions and civil society groups in Lagos, Abuja and several other cities.
The demonstrations were aimed at drawing attention to what union leaders describe as the normalisation of fear in everyday life. From highways to rural communities, insecurity, they say, has become a constant backdrop to work, travel and social life.
Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos Chapter, Comrade Funmi Sessi, says the impact of insecurity now goes far beyond isolated attacks.
While security debates in Nigeria often focus on the federal government, Sessi insists states and local governments cannot continue to sit on the sidelines.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics underscores the scale of the crisis.
In its 2024 Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, the NBS estimated that between May 2023 and April 2024, Nigeria recorded about 2.24 million kidnapping incidents.
During that period, households paid an estimated ₦2.23 trillion in ransom, with roughly 65 per cent of affected families making payments averaging ₦2.67 million per case. For many households, these payments wiped out savings, forced asset sales and pushed families deeper into poverty.
In its report, Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnapping Industry, the firm estimated that kidnappers demanded more than ₦48 billion between June 2024 and June 2025, though only about ₦2.57 billion was eventually paid.
The North-West emerged as the region hardest hit by violent kidnappings, while the South-South and South-East experienced more targeted abductions driven by financial and, in some cases, religious motives.
For labour leaders, these figures raise uncomfortable questions about governance at the subnational level. Vice Chairman of the NLC Lagos Chapter, Comrade Olapisi Adebayo Ido, argues that insecurity persists partly because security funding has not translated into visible action.
Labour wants states and local governments to move beyond rhetoric by investing in intelligence gathering, community policing, surveillance infrastructure and rapid-response systems tailored to local realities.
The labour position comes amid heightened national concern, in November, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers and expanding military operations against kidnappings and terrorism. Nigeria has also intensified security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, particularly in intelligence sharing and defence support.
Yet labour leaders remain sceptical that federal actions alone can reverse the tide. Without strong, coordinated efforts by states and local councils, they warn, insecurity will continue to drain household incomes, distort local economies and undermine public confidence in governance.
For organised labour, the message is clear: security must be owned locally if it is to be won nationally.
