By Moses Akwashiki
Organised labour in Nigeria has warned that rising insecurity and deepening poverty are crippling job creation and eroding decent work opportunities across the country.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, raised the alarm in Abuja during a pre-May Day lecture, describing the twin challenges as major threats to economic growth and workers’ welfare.
Ajaero noted that unless urgent steps are taken to address insecurity and poverty, Nigeria will continue to witness rising unemployment and the steady disappearance of decent jobs.
“About 90 per cent of jobs in Nigeria are in the informal sector, where workers lack job security, pensions, and decent working conditions,” he said.
“Decent jobs are vanishing across industries, worsening inequality and poverty.”
He added that tackling insecurity would have a ripple effect on the economy, particularly in agriculture. According to him, improved security would encourage farmers to return to their farms, boost food production, and create more employment opportunities.
The NLC president also expressed concern that even workers in the formal sector face challenges such as weak pension compliance and poor working conditions.
He stressed that the growing dominance of informal employment has left millions without stable income, social protection, or long-term job security.
Also speaking, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Festus Osifo, said the theme of the lecture, “Insecurity, Poverty: Bane of Decent Work,” is timely given Nigeria’s current socio-economic realities.
Osifo noted that insecurity and poverty are undermining livelihoods, reducing productivity, and threatening the realisation of decent work for millions of Nigerians.
He said the forum provided an opportunity for stakeholders to reflect and develop practical solutions to safeguard workers’ rights, promote social justice, and strengthen the economy.
Osifo urged the government to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete actions to tackle the challenges, stressing that meaningful progress depends on policies that prioritise workers’ welfare and economic stability.
In his contribution, Associate Professor and Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Mr Sam Amadi, said insecurity fuels economic losses and transfers wealth to criminal elements.
He explained that insecurity creates fear, reduces productivity, limits labour mobility, and discourages investment, thereby distorting economic activities.
Amadi linked the crisis to weak governance, noting that poor democratic responsiveness reduces pressure on leaders to address citizens’ concerns.
He added that weak labour laws and inadequate social protection systems have left workers vulnerable, with limited legal safeguards for their welfare.
He called for stronger labour solidarity and non-partisan activism to tackle inequality, improve accountability, and compel government responsiveness.
Also, Workers’ Rights Specialist at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Nigeria Office, Ms Inviolata Chinyangarara, said poverty remains a major obstacle to achieving decent work.
She referenced the 1944 Philadelphia Declaration, which links poverty to threats against global prosperity, warning that inequality fuels instability and weakens labour systems.
Chinyangarara noted that rising informality reflects governance gaps, despite ongoing efforts to transition workers into the formal sector.
She expressed concern over growing youth unemployment, underemployment, and food insecurity, describing them as signs of a weakening social contract.
She called for evidence-based policies and stronger social dialogue through labour unions, emphasising that promoting decent work is key to addressing Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
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