Tinubu declares insecurity, poverty national emergencies

President Bola Tinubu has declared insecurity and poverty as national emergencies, stating that they represent major threats to jobs, productivity, and national stability. The president addressed workers and labour leaders in Abuja on Friday during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebrations.

​He stressed that decent work cannot exist where employees fear for their lives or where wages are insufficient to feed a family. The message aligns with the global May Day theme on the Decent Work Agenda championed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

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​Administration implements community protection guards ​Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, representing the president, acknowledged that insecurity and poverty remain significant obstacles but insisted the administration is tackling both with urgency. He highlighted the launch of the Community Protection Guards initiative, which has recruited 45,000 young Nigerians to secure communities while creating jobs.

​The president also noted economic and social interventions under his Renewed Hope Agenda. These include expanded cash transfers reaching 15-million vulnerable households and lifting an estimated 7.5-million Nigerians out of poverty.

​Infrastructure projects create 600,000 jobs

​Infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline have generated more than 600,000 jobs. On workers’ welfare, the president said the government has implemented a new national minimum wage and cleared pension arrears.

​The administration reintroduced gratuity payments from January 2026 and enrolled more than 800,000 informal sector workers in a micro pension scheme. Additionally, small businesses continue to benefit from a N200bn MSME support fund.

​Government adopts multi-dimensional approach to growth
​The federal government has adopted a multi-dimensional approach to mitigate poverty by developing policies focused on job creation, economic diversification, and social protection. These include the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro-pocket (NAGS-AP) and various mechanisation drives.

​To protect farmers from banditry, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 10,000 agro-rangers to 19 states. Tinubu commended security forces for protecting economic activities, linking improved safety directly to national growth.

“Through targeted interventions in agriculture, small and medium enterprises, infrastructure development, and skill acquisition, we are laying a solid foundation for inclusive growth,” the president said.

​President calls for restraint in industrial disputes

​Addressing labour unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), the president called for sustained dialogue. He urged restraint in industrial disputes, stating that strikes should be a last resort rather than the first.

Read also: Insecurity, serious challenge facing Nigeria Olubadan

​The president reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that Nigeria remains on course to defeat insecurity. He promised a future where decent work is a reality for all citizens, rather than a privilege for a few.

“Your welfare remains a priority. We are committed to improving working conditions, promoting fair wages, and ensuring that every Nigerian worker enjoys dignity, safety and equal opportunity in the workplace; hence, the recent reactivation of the payment of gratuity to Nigerian workers with effect from January 2026,” Tinubu said.