The federal government has reportedly met two major demands of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) following a strike ultimatum issued last week. The concessions include halting deductions from the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the appointment of Opeyemi Agbaje as chairman of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), though the latter is yet to be officially confirmed.
In a letter to the NLC dated August 16, 2025, NSITF Managing Director, Oluwaseun Faleye, confirmed that no further deductions would be made from contributions or investment proceeds. He clarified that while a December 2023 policy mandated automatic deductions from government-owned enterprises, the Accountant-General had in March 2024 directed that employers’ contributions remitted to NSITF—classified as statutory liabilities—should not be subject to such deductions. Some previously deducted funds have also been reversed.
NLC Secretary, Christopher Onyeka, acknowledged receipt of the letter and confirmed that the union’s executive council would review the development before deciding on the proposed strike. He stressed that NSITF contributions are workers’ funds meant to provide compensation in case of workplace injuries, not government revenue.
