Tinubu to workers: We will defeat poverty, insecurity
…Nigeria at war, economy failing masses, says Labour …to begin talks on new minimum wage July President Bola Tinubu on Friday assured the nation’s workforce that his administration would “not
...Nigeria at war, economy failing masses, says Labour
...to begin talks on new minimum wage July
President Bola Tinubu on Friday assured the nation’s workforce that his administration would “not rest on its oars” in tackling insecurity and poverty.
The president gave the assurance during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration at the Eagle Square, Abuja where he was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
Speaking at the event, the President assured Nigerian workers that his government remained committed to creating decent jobs, improving welfare, and restoring security across the country.
The president said: “There cannot be decent work where workers fear for their lives, or where wages cannot feed a family. This administration is resolute. We are committed to overcoming insecurity. We are determined to defeat poverty.”
The President acknowledged that insecurity and poverty remained “significant obstacles” to national development but insisted that his government was confronting them with “deliberate, coordinated and sustained action.”
He cited the recruitment of 45,000 youths under the Community Protection Guards Initiative as part of efforts to boost security while creating employment.
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“This is a clear indication that we are creating decent jobs. Security and employment must go hand in hand,” the president added.
Highlighting achievements under his Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu said the Federal Government had expanded social investment programmes, implemented a new national minimum wage, and created over 600,000 jobs through major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway.
He further disclosed that 15 million vulnerable households had been reached through cash transfer programmes, lifting an estimated 7.5 million Nigerians above the poverty line.
“Your welfare remains a priority. We are committed to improving working conditions, promoting fair wages, and ensuring dignity for every Nigerian worker,” the President said.
He urged labour unions to embrace dialogue and make strikes a last resort.
In a supporting message, Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, reinforced the government’s position, describing Nigerian workers as “the backbone of this nation.”
“May Day is not only a commemoration of workers’ struggles and achievements, but also a reminder of the challenges that still confront us,” he said.
Dingyadi acknowledged the “rising cost of living” and insecurity facing Nigerians but assured that the Federal Government remained committed to wage reforms and job creation.
“The recently implemented minimum wage is not the end of our journey, but a step toward ensuring that every worker earns a living wage that reflects dignity and fairness,” he said.
The minister added that government was working with states and labour unions to ensure full compliance.
He outlined ongoing reforms by the Ministry, including the review of labour laws, strengthening occupational safety standards, tackling child labour, and finalising a National Industrial Relations Policy aimed at stabilising workplace relations.
On insecurity, the minister stressed that “no worker can thrive in fear,” assuring that efforts were being intensified to secure workplaces and communities.
“A nation that protects its workers is a nation that protects its future,” he said.
But in a sharp and sweeping response, leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria painted a far gloomier picture of the country.
In a joint address delivered by NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC President Festus Osifo, organised labour warned that insecurity and poverty had crippled the possibility of decent work and threatened national stability.
“This year’s theme speaks directly to the harsh realities confronting workers. There exists a direct and undeniable relationship between insecurity, poverty, and the collapse of decent work outcomes.
“We must confront an uncomfortable truth. Our nation is at war, even if we have refused to call it by its name, ” the labour leaders said.
According to them, nearly 2,000 Nigerians were killed in the first quarter of 2026 alone, with millions displaced and livelihoods destroyed.
“A nation cannot function, and an economy cannot grow, when its people live under constant threat,” they said.
The labour leaders warned that workers might be forced to stay home if insecurity persists.
On the economy, labour dismissed official figures as disconnected from reality, arguing that rising gross domestic product (GDP) had failed to translate into improved living conditions.
“The economy must serve the people, or it has failed. By that measure, we must speak plainly; the state of our economy remains deeply troubling. It is not getting better. It is getting worse,” the labour leaders declared.
They put Nigeria’s poverty rate at about 65 per cent, describing the country as “the poverty capital of the world,” and criticised policies they said favoured a privileged few.
“Perhaps, it is working for the ultra-few 1% and not the 99% majority,” they added.
The two labour centres also took aim at governance and democratic institutions, raising concerns over what it described as weakening checks and balances, controversial judicial decisions, and the rapid approval of a $6.9 billion loan by the National Assembly.
“The erosion of the separation of powers contributes to a system that struggles to deliver for its people,” they warned.
On workers’ welfare, the unions accused some state governments and private employers of failing to fully implement the 2024 minimum wage, forcing some workers to mark May Day in protest rather than celebration.
They announced plans to begin negotiations for a new minimum wage by July 2026 and demanded immediate measures to cushion economic hardship.
“We demand a living wage, not a minimum wage,” the labour leaders said.
Despite the strong criticisms, labour reaffirmed its willingness to engage government but insisted that decisive action—not rhetoric—was urgently required.
“Without justice for workers, there can be no justice for the nation,” they declared.
Both sides, however, agreed on one central point: the need to confront insecurity and poverty as a matter of urgency.
