Niger state civil servants commenced an indefinite strike today, Wednesday, February 21, students were sent home, court proceedings were suspended, and government offices remained closed with locked doors and gates. The strike action led to the closure of public schools and government offices, affecting both workers and students.
It was observed that government offices and public schools were all locked, and workers who were present stated that officials from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) locked the gates at 8 am. Some workers were sent out of the offices, while others who had not yet resumed work found the gates locked upon arrival.
At the College of Education in Minna, students residing in the hostel were sent home as the gates of the institution were shut by the NLC enforcement team. The strike action was announced by the Niger State Chapter of the NLC on Monday after failed negotiations with the Niger State Government Committee, stating that the strike would commence from 8 am on Wednesday until their demands are met.
Despite efforts by the Niger state government to avert the strike through dialogue, the NLC leaders did not attend a meeting called by the government. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman, expressed the government's readiness to address the demands of the labour union, but no Labour leaders showed up for the meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 2 pm.
