The leadership of the organized labor movement has advised President Bola Tinubu to prevent an impending nationwide protest by engaging in dialogue with its organizers.

Thousands of Nigerians are preparing for protests across all 36 states.

Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has responded to this situation by urging the President to identify and communicate with the protest leaders. He stressed the importance of listening to the people’s grievances, noting the widespread dissatisfaction due to the current economic hardships, with many families struggling to afford even one meal a day.

“As the date for the widely reported national protest looms, the Nigeria Labour Congress urges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leadership of the protest movement for discussions on their grievances. The truth is that millions of Nigerians are angry about the state of the national economy. A situation where most Nigerian families are forced to eat one miserable meal a day and eating from the dustbin is now seen as luxury beckons for serious intervention by the government,” Ajaero stated.

Ajaero cited a recent living standards index assessment by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which revealed that approximately 133 million Nigerians live below the extreme poverty line. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) also reported that in the first three quarters of 2024, around 32 million Nigerians experienced acute hunger.

“When this statistic is added to the millions that are being recruited into the armies of the unemployed and under-employed Nigerians, one can easily situate the hardship, pain, frustrations, and despair that many Nigerians are going through right now,” Ajaero concluded.