Ogun Workers Ground State, Embark on Indefinite Strike Over N82bn Pension Debt

In a dramatic escalation of their longstanding dispute with the State Government, Civil and Public Servants in Ogun State have commenced an indefinite strike over the non-remittance of contributory pension funds. The strike, which takes effect from 12 Midnight Tuesday, July 15, 2025, is expected to bring the State’s activities to a grinding halt.

According to a letter signed by the State Chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiation Committee (JNC), the workers are demanding the suspension of the Ogun State Pension Reform Law, which they claim has failed in its objective and has been used as a wage-lowering tactic by successive Governments.

The workers disclosed that the Government owes a staggering N82 billion in accumulated Contributory Pension Funds, despite deducting workers’ contributions over the past 17 years. Only 34 months’ worth of deductions have been remitted to Pension Funds Administrators, leaving workers shortchanged.

The letter, addressed to Governor Dapo Abiodun, reads in part: “The entire Civil/Public Servants of the State and of the Local Governments voted to indefinitely suspend their services over the dysfunctional Ogun State Pension Reform Law [OGSPRL] 2008, amended 2013… Practically, in its seventeen years of passage as a law, from all indicators, the CPS has, at best, been practiced in complete breach of the OGSPRL 2008.”

The workers’ decision to embark on an indefinite strike is a culmination of years of frustration and disappointment with the Government’s handling of their pension funds. With the strike now underway, it remains to be seen how the State Government will respond to the workers’ demands and resolve the crisis.