Tinubu Holds Talks with Labour as NLC Postpones Strike Decision

President Bola Tinubu met with organised labour on Tuesday night, as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) indicated that it would delay any decision on its proposed strike until further internal consultations.

The meeting took place behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid growing public attention over potential protests. Speaking after the engagement, NLC President Joe Ajaero described the session as a consultation rather than a final negotiation, stressing that labour leaders would brief their internal bodies before making a public statement.

“We came for consultation with the President, and we are finished, so we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow,” Ajaero said. “By tomorrow, we will get the outcome.”

Asked if the planned protest would proceed, Ajaero did not commit, noting that decisions within the NLC are collective. “It is not an organisation that one person rules. We will go back to the drawing board, digest all that Mr. President said to us, and move forward from there,” he added.

Also present was Imo State Governor and APC Governors’ Forum Chairman, Hope Uzodinma, who highlighted dialogue as the preferred way to resolve labour-government issues. “We are here to serve the country, the labour, the government, and the governed. We are all working in service to the nation,” Uzodinma said.

Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, said the labour leaders appreciated the opportunity to meet the President directly. “They are happy they’ve had firsthand engagement and that at least the President has driven the economy out of the woods,” she added.

The talks come amid rising economic pressures and labour demands, with Nigerians awaiting clarity on whether industrial action will proceed. Labour leaders are expected to reconvene internally before announcing the next steps.