Labour leaders in Nigeria have expressed concern over worsening insecurity, deepening poverty and the shrinking availability of decent work in the country.
The concerns were raised at a pre-May Day lecture organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in Abuja ahead of the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration.
NLC President Joe Ajaero said insecurity and poverty had become major barriers to decent work, noting that many Nigerians remain trapped in low-income survival jobs with little or no social protection.
He argued that tackling insecurity would immediately boost agricultural productivity and small-scale commerce across the country.
“If we remove insecurity today, you see that there will be food everywhere. People will go back to their farms. You don’t even need the government to bring any cover. People will be free to move from one place to another to sell,” Ajaero said.
He also expressed concern that nearly 90 per cent of jobs in Nigeria are now in the informal sector, where workers lack pensions, job security, and stable working conditions.
Ajaero, however, commended the Federal Government for reintroducing gratuity payments, describing it as a step toward restoring dignity to retirement.
The TUC President, Festus Osifo, called for stronger unity among workers and stakeholders to address poverty and insecurity, stressing that decent work remains a non-negotiable demand.
“While calling for greater solidarity and cooperation towards the eradication of poverty and insecurity in our workplaces, in particular, and Nigeria in general, decent work is a must for Nigerian workers and is not negotiable,” Osifo said.
Delivering a keynote address, Prof Kunle Olawunmi, a scholar of international relations and strategic studies, said poverty and insecurity pose direct threats to governance, productivity, and national stability.
He warned that Nigeria cannot build a productive economy “on frightened communities, hungry households, underpaid workers and displaced citizens.”