Workers’ Day: Insecurity, inflation dominate talks as labour warns of deepening hardship

Nigerian workers on Friday marked International Workers’ Day in Abuja amid growing concerns over insecurity, rising inflation, and a weakening naira, with labour leaders warning that worsening economic conditions are deepening hardship across the country.

Speaking at Eagle Square, Abuja, leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said current realities fall far short of the promise of decent work, as many households struggle with rising living costs, job insecurity, and eroding purchasing power.

They warned that without urgent government intervention to address insecurity, stabilise the economy, and strengthen the currency, living standards could deteriorate further, widening inequality among workers.

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Joe Ajaero, NLC president said Nigerian workers are being squeezed by insecurity, poverty, inflation, and currency devaluation, adding that the situation is undermining job creation and deepening inequality.

He noted that about 90 per cent of jobs remain in the informal sector, where workers lack social protection, pensions, and stable incomes.

Ajaero said the reality confronting workers contrasts sharply with the promise of decent work, as economic reforms continue to lag behind rising cost pressures.

TUC president Festus Osifo said insecurity and the weakening naira remain key drivers of economic hardship for workers.

He described insecurity as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge, warning that no economic reform or infrastructure development can succeed without safety.

“The greatest challenge we are facing as a country today is insecurity,” Osifo said. “Farmers are killed while trying to produce food, and people are attacked in their homes. Life comes first. Without it, there can be no economy.”

He urged the Federal Government to prioritise security funding, even if it requires reallocating resources, and to invest more in technology and intelligence gathering to curb rising insecurity.

According to him, persistent insecurity continues to disrupt economic activity, reduce agricultural output, and fuel food inflation, with direct consequences for workers’ welfare.

Osifo also identified naira depreciation as a key factor driving hardship, noting that while the exchange rate has shown some improvement, pressure on the currency persists.

“At a point, the exchange rate was about N1,700 to the dollar. today, it is around N1,350, but more needs to be done,” he said, adding that the TUC believes the naira could be strengthened below N1,000 to the dollar.

He argued that a stronger currency would reduce the cost of fuel and imported goods, with broader benefits for household incomes.

On wages, the labour centre reiterated its call for an upward review of the national minimum wage and the introduction of interim wage awards for public sector workers ahead of the next review cycle.

Osifo said that while more than 500 collective bargaining agreements have been concluded in the private sector over the past year, public sector remuneration remains a major concern.

He stressed that wage increases alone would not resolve workers’ hardship without corresponding currency stability.

“Even if you pay a worker N1 million, if it cannot buy basic goods, it is meaningless. The value of the naira determines purchasing power,” he said.

The TUC said it would continue engaging the government on policy measures aimed at strengthening the currency and improving economic stability, adding that workers remain under pressure from rising living costs, insecurity, and broader economic challenges.

Also speaking, Dominic Igwebike, acting general secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), painted a grim picture of working conditions in the power sector, citing arbitrary sackings, stagnant wages, casualisation, and unsafe workplaces.

Read also: Stagnant wages leave Nigerian workers trailing peers 

Igwebike also raised concerns over rising attacks on electricity workers and infrastructure, saying insecurity has made essential service delivery increasingly dangerous.

He warned that Nigeria risks a broader economic and social crisis if insecurity and poverty are not urgently addressed, arguing that insecurity has become an economic threat disrupting agriculture, trade, mobility, productivity, and investor confidence.

Across sectors, workers described daily struggles with rising food, transport, and energy costs, saying the gap between earnings and survival needs continues to widen.

For many, this year’s May Day served less as a celebration and more as a stark reminder of a labour market under severe strain.

This year’s theme, “Insecurity, Poverty Bane of Decent Work,” set the tone for speeches dominated by concerns over job losses, wage stagnation, and worsening living conditions.