TUC Demands ‘War Budget’ for Security, Threatens National Strike Over Health Worker Accord
ABUJA — Key sectors of the Nigerian economy face the threat of imminent paralysis as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) prepares for a potential solidarity strike.
The industrial friction stems from the Federal Government’s alleged failure to honour a signed communiqué and implement resolutions brokered by the Minister of Health regarding the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) crisis.
The economic warning was delivered alongside a broader macroeconomic assessment during the TUC’s National Administrative Council meeting in the federal capital.
While acknowledging recent improvements in macroeconomic indices and a marginal moderation in inflation, TUC leadership stressed that the average worker remains untouched by these statistical gains. To bridge this gap, organized labour is advising public and private employers to proactively implement salary increments rather than waiting for the conclusion of prolonged minimum wage negotiations.
The TUC also weighed in on currency valuations, praising the Central Bank’s progressive forex direction but insisting that a firmer policy push could anchor the Naira within the ₦600 to ₦800/$1 range.
According to the union, achieving this exchange rate target is critical to defusing the inflationary pressures driving up everyday consumer goods.
National Security as an Economic Pillar
The union argued that sustainable economic growth is impossible without safety, characterizing Nigeria’s domestic security challenges as a decades-long conflict requiring a dedicated “war budget.”
In addition to demanding heightened security spending, the TUC called for immediate revitalization of the manufacturing sector to stimulate job creation and industrial productivity.
On institutional matters, the council rejected the concessioning of legacy assets, aligning with the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria to demand that King’s College, Lagos, remain entirely state-managed.
