President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerian workers to remain patient with his administration over their various demands amid the ongoing economic hardship, describing the situation as part of a global crisis.

Tinubu made this appeal on Thursday during the 2025 May Day celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja, themed “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the Midst of Economic Hardship.” He was represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.

The President acknowledged the rising cost of living, hunger, insecurity, unemployment, and the loss of livelihoods affecting many Nigerians, especially workers, and assured them of his administration’s commitment to resolving these challenges.

“Economic hardship, which today is a global phenomenon, cuts across all regions, testing the resolve of world leaders but has not broken our spirit,” Tinubu said. “I am well aware of the peculiarities of this hardship for Nigerians, especially the struggles workers face… These challenges are real and critical, and my administration is poised to address them through policies promoting job creation, poverty alleviation, and support for the most vulnerable.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) used the occasion to push for an upward review of the retirement age for all categories of civil servants. NLC President Joe Ajaero, speaking on behalf of both unions, argued that extending the retirement age to 65 years or 40 years of service—currently applicable only to teachers, health professionals, and judges—should be applied universally.

“It is imperative to extend the revised retirement age to all public servants,” Ajaero said, adding that the change would address perceived inequalities in the civil service.