Nigeria’s organised labour on Friday issued a stern warning that the country is sliding into a critical crisis marked by economic hardship, insecurity, and a weakening social contract between the government and its citizens.
At the 2026 May Day celebration held at Eagle Square, Abuja, leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, delivered a joint address that combined sharp economic critique with strong political warnings and the threat of possible nationwide labour action.
The unions opened by stressing the central role of workers in national development, saying, “Workers remain at the very heart of every industry, every economy, and every success story known to humanity. Without workers, no wheel can turn; without workers, no nation can be built.”
They further lamented the widening gap between wealth creation and workers’ welfare, stating, “Yet those same workers create immense wealth yet receive only a fraction of it, enduring exploitation while poverty tightens its grip around them.”
On the economy, labour challenged official narratives of growth, saying, “We are told that GDP growth may reach about 3.6%… yet poverty continues to rise. We hear official inflation figures… but these numbers do not reflect the reality experienced daily by workers.”
They also described the country’s economic structure in stark terms, “Paper growth without jobs, stability without prosperity, and reform without relief.”
On inequality, they warned, “An economy that serves only the top 1% while leaving the 99% behind cannot be sustainable. Perhaps, it is working for the ultra-few 1% and not the 99% majority.”
The unions painted a grim picture of poverty, noting, “Approximately 10,000 people are pushed into poverty every day,” adding that about 65 percent of Nigerians are now affected.
They also highlighted worsening humanitarian conditions, saying, “In these camps and communities, diseases such as Kwashiorkor, Craw-craw, and Marasmus are re-emerging,” describing it as a “grim picture of a nation under severe strain.”
On insecurity, labour issued one of its strongest warnings, stating, “The scale of violence, the frequency of attacks, and the mounting loss of lives… place Nigeria among the most dangerous places to live on earth.”
They added, “It is not. It is a war against our people,” stressing that the situation has gone beyond isolated incidents.
They further warned, “People are no longer safe in their homes, on the roads, or even in their workplaces. Daily life has become a gamble with fate.”
In a significant escalation, they cautioned, “Nigerian workers may no longer continue going to work with this level of insecurity. We may be forced to advise our members… to stay at home to avoid being kidnapped, abducted or killed.”
On wages, labour said, “We will commence the process early to avoid the painful delays of the past,” and insisted: “We demand that from July of this year, every worker be paid 100% of his basic salary… We demand a living wage, not a minimum wage.”
They also criticised the power sector, stating, “Over a decade after privatisation, Nigerians have little to show but deepening darkness,” despite massive public investment.
On governance, they said, “When leaders seek better education abroad for their children while neglecting domestic schools… it raises fundamental questions about commitment.”
They also declared, “This is not mere corruption; it is a system… one that bleeds the nation continuously,” launching a campaign titled “Stop the Bleeding. Every stolen Naira is a stolen future.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, they warned, “2027 will be different. No more will we be voting fodder.”
The address concluded with a rallying call, “You are not victims. You are the engine of this nation. And engines do not beg; they move.”
They added, “Let this May Day mark the turning point; where Nigerian workers stopped asking and started demanding… Our nation can be saved! But only by us! Only together! Only now!”
