The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged its support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the fight against corruption and illicit financial flows, saying Nigerian workers stand firmly behind the Commission’s mandate.
The NLC made the commitment on Thursday, August 13, 2026, when a delegation led by its General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, paid a courtesy visit to the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in Abuja.
Odigie, who is also General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation-Africa (ITUC-Africa), said the visit formed part of a wider continental campaign against illicit financial flows.
He said the campaign, which is already ongoing in Zambia and Kenya, would be extended to Uganda, Ghana and Senegal.
Describing the visit as an expression of solidarity with the EFCC, Odigie said organised labour was prepared to work with the Commission in tackling corruption and financial crimes.
“Our coming today, first, is a way of solidarity. To say we are with you in this fight. Let us fight together. That more than ever before, the fight you are undertaking is on behalf of the Nigerian people, on behalf of the workers,” he said.
Odigie also called for stronger whistleblowing mechanisms to protect workers who report suspected corruption, stressing that employees should be able to expose wrongdoing without fear of retaliation.
He linked the fight against corruption to the welfare of workers, arguing that funds lost through corruption and illicit financial flows could otherwise be channelled into social protection programmes and improved living standards.
The NLC further called for the revival of its previous partnership with the EFCC and advocated stronger legal powers for the Commission to investigate and prosecute corruption cases irrespective of the status or office of suspects.
Responding on behalf of Olukoyede, the EFCC Director of Public Affairs, CE Wilson Uwujaren, welcomed the NLC’s support and said the Commission could not win the fight against corruption without collaboration from other stakeholders.
“The Commission welcomes collaboration from every organization, civil society, faith-based organizations, all of them. And the NLC, as far as I am concerned, is the lead organization when it comes to civil society activities,” Uwujaren said.
He said the EFCC had moved beyond merely lamenting the impact of illicit financial flows to taking concrete enforcement actions through investigations, arrests and recoveries.
Uwujaren also urged the NLC to help revive public participation in the Commission’s whistleblowing initiative, noting that enthusiasm around the policy had declined in recent years.
“Like you said, workers are usually the greatest victims of corruption anywhere in the world. And it is even more so in Nigeria. And it is important for labour to embark on a campaign that will make the ordinary worker realize the implication of corruption for a livelihood,” he said.
The EFCC spokesman said the Commission was willing to restore its partnership with organised labour and other groups that share its commitment to fighting corruption.
Both organisations agreed to sustain engagement, with the NLC pledging to mobilise workers more broadly in support of anti-corruption efforts.
