Insecurity remains a widespread threat across the country, threatening livelihoods and productivity. Many workers face daily dangers such as kidnapping, violence and displacement. In numerous communities, the fear of being attacked continues, making workplaces increasingly unsafe. This year’s May Day celebration emphasised that unless these issues are urgently addressed, the goal of decent work will remain a mirage, GLORIA NWAFOR writes.

The usual optimism surrounding International Workers’ Day regressed to renewed anxiety, as organised labour raises concerns about the worsening conditions faced by Nigerian workers. Central to the worry is a clear warning: the ongoing lack of decent work is no longer merely an economic problem but a human rights crisis.

Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) contended that insecurity and poverty are now deeply rooted obstacles to decent work, depriving millions of Nigerians of access to jobs that are fairly paid, safe, secure and dignified. They stressed that many vulnerable citizens are pushed into the labour market too early, exposing them to exploitation and poor working conditions.

This year’s May Day, with the theme ‘Insecurity and Poverty: The Bane of Decent Work,’ highlights the severe challenges workers nationwide face.

The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, noted that Nigeria is trapped in a dangerous cycle in which insecurity worsens poverty, which in turn further amplifies insecurity, thereby undermining opportunities for decent work and overall national progress.

In the joint May Day speech read by the two labour leaders, they warned that economic growth without corresponding job creation is a hollow victory.

“There is a direct and undeniable relationship between insecurity, poverty, and the collapse of decent work outcomes: as insecurity and poverty rise, the possibility of decent work diminishes, and as they fall, the prospects for dignity at work are restored,” they said.
Where growth fails to generate quality employment, informality thrives, labour protections weaken, and societies become more vulnerable to economic and social shocks.

The result, they stress, is a steady deterioration in workers’ quality of life and a weakening of institutions meant to safeguard them.

The labour movement points to grim indicators: rising job losses, factory closures, soaring inflation, and declining purchasing power. Compounding these domestic challenges are global pressures, including geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have further strained livelihoods. For many workers, survival has become a daily struggle marked by insecurity, exploitation and institutional neglect.

Central to their argument is the framework of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 8, which emphasises inclusive growth, productive employment and decent work for all. Labour leaders insist that any force undermining decent work, especially insecurity and poverty, directly threatens national progress.

With Nigeria’s population exceeding 200 million and poverty levels estimated at 65 per cent, the situation, they say, has reached a critical threshold. The four pillars of decent work, employment creation, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue cannot thrive in an environment defined by fear and deprivation.

The two labour leaders urged the government not to place the horse before the cart by prioritising security above all else, recognising that once the foundation is strong, every other benefit of nationhood would follow.

According to them, when governance frameworks are weakened and democratic institutions are compromised, the consequences are far-reaching.

As the general elections approach, organised labour said it would use its charter of demands as a tool, warning that any candidate or party that refuses to commit to workers’ rights, security, free education, and public healthcare will not receive its support.

The unions are therefore demanding urgent, decisive policy responses. These include strengthening national security, expanding social protection programmes, and implementing active labour market policies to prevent vulnerable households from slipping deeper into hardship. Without such interventions, they caution, the country risks further socio-economic decline.

In a stark warning, labour leaders say continued insecurity could force workers to reconsider whether they can safely commute and perform their duties. Such a development, they note, would have far-reaching consequences for productivity and national stability.

Also lending his voice, Salmon Oladiti of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers urged the Federal Government to reinforce the country’s security architecture and improve the Human Development Index. He argued that a secure workforce is not only more productive but also essential for national prosperity.

Across labour circles, the message is consistent: without a deliberate shift in policy priorities, one that places security, job creation and workers’ welfare at the centre, Nigeria’s aspiration to join the ranks of stable and prosperous nations may remain elusive.

As the political season approaches, organised labour has drawn a line in the sand, vowing to withhold support from any candidate or party unwilling to commit to workers’ rights, security, education and healthcare.

The organised labour declared that the time for rhetoric has passed, insisting that what is required now is bold, sustained action to break the vicious cycle of insecurity and poverty to restore dignity to the work arena.