President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared insecurity and poverty as national emergencies, warning that both continue to undermine jobs, productivity, and economic stability across the country.
Speaking in a goodwill message to mark Workers’ Day at Eagle Square, Abuja, and represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Tinubu described the challenges as “hydra-headed” threats to national development.
He said decent work cannot exist where citizens fear for their lives or where wages cannot sustain families, aligning his remarks with the International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent Work Agenda.
The President highlighted ongoing government interventions, including the Community Protection Guards Initiative, which he said has created about 45,000 jobs for young Nigerians, as well as expanded cash transfer programmes reaching around 15 million vulnerable households.
He also noted that major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline have generated over 600,000 jobs, while agricultural programmes and the deployment of 10,000 Agro-Rangers across 19 states are aimed at improving food security and rural employment.
On workers’ welfare, Tinubu said his administration has implemented a new national minimum wage, cleared pension arrears, and reintroduced gratuity payments effective January 2026. He also disclosed that over 800,000 informal sector workers have been enrolled in the micro pension scheme, alongside a ₦200 billion SME support fund.
He urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to prioritise dialogue over strikes, describing industrial action as a last resort.
Labour leaders, including NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC President Festus Osifo, however, raised concerns over worsening insecurity and poverty, saying nearly 2,000 people were killed in the first quarter of 2026. They also criticised economic policies they said have not improved living conditions.
The event highlighted a clear contrast between government assurances of progress and labour unions’ warnings of deepening economic hardship and insecurity.
