Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has been named the 2026 laureate of the Arthur Svensson International Award for his courage and unwavering commitment to defending workers’ rights.

According to a statement by Emma Ugboaja, the General Secretary of NLC, the recognition marked the first time the distinguished global honour had been conferred upon a trade union leader from Nigeria.

The statement said that the Arthur Svensson Award, established in memory of the legendary Norwegian trade unionist and internationalist, Arthur Svensson (1938–2003), is presented to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strategic acumen, and an unwavering commitment to defending workers’ rights and trade union freedoms worldwide.

t stated that Svensson stood against capital’s exploitation and fought for cross-border labour solidarity, values that not only burn fiercely in the hearts of every Nigerian worker but also resonate with our lived realities.

The labour congress said that, in light of current realities, the honour conferred on Ajaero was especially significant, particularly amid state repression and workplace tyranny.

The NLC described the award as not merely a plaque or ribbon, but a lightning rod for international recognition of the daily, blood-knuckled battles Nigerian workers wage against state suppression, anti-union vigilantism, and the wholesale commodification of labour.

It stressed that its struggles are real and fierce, citing the brutal attacks on striking workers, the casual dismissal of workers in Export Processing Zones without recourse to negotiation, the use of security forces to break picket lines, and the deliberate impoverishment of the working class through anti-people economic policies.

The NLC noted that for Ajaero to have been singled out for the honour sends an unmistakable signal to the world.
Insisting that the award was a source of passionate pride, BLC added: “Even when our picket lines are tear-gassed, even when union leaders are illegally detained, and charges of terrorism financing are brought against them, even when our members are sacked for demanding a living wage amid pervasive hunger and hyperinflation, the international labour movement sees us.”