By our correspondant
Trade union leaders, civil society actors and pro-labour activists have urged the Federal Government to urgently address Nigeria’s widening inequality, warning that the country risks deeper socio-economic instability if economic reforms are not anchored on decent work, social justice and inclusive growth.
The call was made in Abuja at a high-level one-day review meeting organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) under the Trade, Investment, Sovereign Debt and Decent Work Programme.
The meeting brought together members of the NLC Trade Network, civil society organisations and the Media Alliance for Economic Transformation.
Participants raised alarm over Nigeria’s worsening socio-economic trajectory against the backdrop of rising living costs, policy shocks and growing public discontent, while reviewing the implications of trade and economic policies on workers and vulnerable citizens.
In his opening remarks, National Coordinator of the NLC Trade Programme, Comrade Echezona Asuzu, described the current moment as one of “acute socio-economic distress” for Nigerian workers and households.
He said recent increases in the pump price of refined petroleum products, following the removal of fuel subsidy, had triggered what he described as hyper-inflation, pushing up the cost of transportation, food and basic services.
According to him, “the removal of the so-called fuel subsidy has translated into unbearable increases in the cost of living, with workers and the poor paying the highest price,” adding that the government’s reluctance to significantly review the national minimum wage had further deepened hardship for wage earners.
Asuzu also raised concerns over the proposed tax law expected to take effect from January, Nigeria’s growing sovereign debt profile, escalating insecurity and the ongoing review of trade protocols under the African Continental Free Trade Area, stressing that trade re-engagement must not undermine workers’ rights and livelihoods.
Participants also reviewed the three-year implementation of an ITUC-Africa, LRS and SASK-supported regional project aimed at deepening trade unions’ engagement with trade, investment and sovereign debt policies.
In a paper presentation, a senior academic and public policy analyst, Dr Jasper Uche, traced the historic role of trade unions beyond workplace negotiations, describing them as “societal watchdogs” at the intersection of labour rights, social protection and democratic accountability.
He warned that current socio-economic policies carry far-reaching consequences for ordinary Nigerians, particularly informal economy workers who remain most exposed to inflation, insecurity and weak social safety nets.
Uche noted that Nigeria’s large population, workforce and economic diversity should be a source of strength, not hardship, stressing the need for accelerated economic transformation that prioritises people over profit.
Participants at the meeting agreed that labour must rethink its strategy in the face of what they described as an increasingly aggressive alliance between capital and state power, warning that unchecked policies would continue to erode social cohesion and the dignity of labour.
They called on trade unions to reclaim their role as mass social movements by organising informal workers, strengthening capacity on trade and debt issues, and deploying evidence-based advocacy and modern media engagement to demand accountable and people-centred governance.
