By Chinedu Echianu
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called for comprehensive legislation to protect whistleblowers in Nigeria, insisting that workers and citizens must be able to expose corruption without fear of retaliation.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the call in Abuja in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Assistant General Secretary of the Congress, Chris Onyeka, at a one-day multi-stakeholder dialogue on strengthening whistleblower protection, civic space and anti-kleptocracy accountability in Nigeria.
Ajaero said the fight against corruption was inseparable from the struggle for workers’ rights and economic justice, stressing that the looting of public funds directly affects the welfare of Nigerian workers and citizens.
He said corruption translates into dilapidated hospitals, poorly funded schools and the erosion of public services, while public resources are allegedly diverted for the benefit of a privileged few.
The NLC President expressed concern over what he described as disturbing reports of huge sums of public funds being lost or mismanaged, as well as alleged irregularities involving government budgets and agencies.
He also criticised the emergence of what he described as “ghost government agencies,” following reports that the Federal Government had uncovered two fake agencies.
According to him, kleptocracy thrives where civic space is restricted and workers and citizens are afraid to speak truth to power.
He argued that the absence of effective and safe channels for reporting corruption had weakened citizens’ ability to expose wrongdoing.
“The gap between Nigeria’s anti-corruption commitments and the absence of robust whistleblower protection frameworks is not an oversight. It is a reflection of the interests that have captured the Nigerian state,” Ajaero said.
He described whistleblower protection as more than a legal issue, saying it was fundamental to democratic governance and the struggle for economic justice.
The NLC President called for stronger collaboration among trade unions, journalists and civil society organisations to resist attempts by political and economic elites to suppress civic participation.
He further demanded comprehensive whistleblower protection legislation that recognises the right of workers and citizens to expose wrongdoing without fear of victimisation.
Ajaero also rejected what he called the criminalisation of dissent and the use of restrictive laws to silence journalists, trade unionists and activists who expose corruption.
He urged greater independence and accountability in the judiciary, police and anti-corruption agencies, saying such institutions should serve the interests of Nigerians rather than political interests.
The NLC President pledged the continued solidarity of the labour movement with individuals who risk their livelihoods and lives to defend the interests of Nigerians.
He said the labour movement would continue to expose alleged wrongdoing regardless of whether specific whistleblower protection legislation was enacted.
“Whether they make the appropriate laws or not, we will continue to blow the whistle whenever we receive information. It is our civic duty,” he said.
He said the dialogue should result in coordinated advocacy and collective action rather than merely a set of recommendations.
The event brought together journalists, civil society organisations and trade union representatives for discussions on whistleblowing, civic space and the fight against kleptocracy in Africa.
Participants received presentations from Jimmy Kande, Executive Director of the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), who called on the Nigerian government to enact comprehensive legislation to protect whistleblowers, and Eze Onyekpere, Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, who examined the shortcomings of existing laws.
Onyekpere argued that legislation alone has failed to deliver meaningful change, stressing that active citizen participation in promoting transparency and accountability is crucial to checking the excesses of the political elite and ensuring that public officials are held accountable.
The NLC expressed appreciation to the Solidarity Center, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, and Transparency International for their roles in supporting the dialogue.
The Congress said the objective was to build a Nigeria where workers can organise freely, citizens can speak without fear and those responsible for looting public resources can be held accountable.
