In a dramatic escalation of long-standing grievances, scores of workers from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs stormed and blocked the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja’s Central Business District on Wednesday morning, halting all activities and drawing attention to their deteriorating welfare conditions and months of unpaid allowances.
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The protesters, primarily comprising administrative staff, cleaners, security personnel, and other auxiliary workers, gathered as early as 6 a.m., chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards with messages such as “Pay Our Allowances Now!”, “No More Empty Promises – Welfare for Women Starts with Us!”, and “Uju’s Legacy: Starving Her Own Workers?”. They effectively barricaded the main gate along Shehu Shagari Way, preventing vehicles and personnel from entering or exiting the premises, which led to a standoff with security forces who arrived to manage the situation.
Eyewitnesses reported that the demonstration was peaceful but resolute, with workers refusing to budge until ministry officials addressed their demands. One protester, who identified herself as a long-serving cleaner and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, told reporters: “We take care of this ministry every day, but they can’t take care of us. For over six months, our hazard allowances, housing stipends, and even basic overtime pay have been withheld. How can a ministry dedicated to women’s empowerment leave its female workers hungry and broke? This is hypocrisy!”
The root of the protest traces back to ongoing financial mismanagement allegations within the ministry, which has faced scrutiny from the House of Representatives earlier this year. In July 2024, lawmakers grilled then-Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye over the non-disbursement of N1.5 billion in funds meant for contractors, despite allocations from the Accountant-General’s office. Critics at the time pointed to irregular expenditures, including N45 million on a New Year party and N20 million on sanitary pads, which protesters now cite as evidence of misplaced priorities
The current Minister, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who assumed office in early 2025, has promised reforms, but workers claim little has changed amid Nigeria’s broader economic challenges, including inflation and delayed federal allocations.
Union leaders from the ministry’s chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led the action, issuing a statement that read: “Our members are at the breaking point. Poor welfare packages, including inadequate health insurance and no provision for family support, compound the issue of unpaid allowances totaling over N500 million for the affected staff. We demand immediate payment, implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS), and an end to outsourcing practices that exploit vulnerable workers
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