The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to double funding for security operations, saying persistent killings, kidnappings and insurgency are undermining food production, investment and economic activity across the country.
TUC President Festus Osifo made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing journalists at the end of the union’s National Administrative Council meeting. He said the scale of insecurity required stronger government intervention and additional resources for security agencies.
Osifo commended the Director General of the Department of State Services and the National Security Adviser for efforts to apprehend suspected criminals and secure convictions, but said the continued attacks in several parts of the country showed that more needed to be done.
He cited ongoing kidnappings and killings in states including Plateau, Zamfara, Borno, Katsina and Niger, saying the situation had persisted for more than a decade.
“We know as a country that we are still faced with a huge level of insecurity and we are still faced with a huge level of challenges,” Osifo said. “Government should double its effort. Government should double the revenue going into fighting security.”
The TUC leader proposed the use of budgetary virement to redirect funds toward security, particularly to enable security agencies to acquire modern equipment and other technology needed to confront terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.
He argued that improved security was essential to economic development because farmers in affected communities were increasingly unable to return to their farms, contributing to reduced food production and pressure on food prices.
Osifo also said insecurity was discouraging both domestic and foreign investment because businesses were reluctant to commit capital in areas where threats to lives and property remained high.
He said investments in roads, electricity and education were important, but argued that protecting lives and property must remain a fundamental responsibility of government.
“We must first of all be alive to enjoy the dividend of the infrastructures, to drive on those roads, to be able to feed and to send our children to school,” he said.
The Federal Government allocated N5.41 trillion for defence and security in the 2026 budget, with President Bola Tinubu describing national security as a foundation for development and outlining plans for military modernisation, intelligence driven policing, border security and technology enabled surveillance.
Osifo also called for accountability over the deaths of about 37 minors in Niger State while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. He urged the government to act on the findings of the committee established to investigate the incident and ensure that anyone found responsible is dealt with according to the law.
The TUC’s demand comes amid continuing concerns over the economic consequences of insecurity, particularly its effects on agriculture, food prices, investment and the movement of people and goods.
For the labour movement, strengthening security funding is therefore not only a security priority but also an economic necessity, as restoring safe access to farms, markets and investment locations would support production and improve household welfare.
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