Nigerian Workers Face Worst Survival Crisis in History — NLC Raises Alarm
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that Nigerian workers and the wider population are grappling with the worst survival crisis in the country’s history, driven by soaring inflation, worsening insecurity, poor wages, and the collapse of social protection systems.
According to the labour congress, the condition of Nigerian workers has deteriorated so badly that they are now worse off than their counterparts in several African countries, including conflict-ridden nations such as Somalia and Sudan.
Speaking on the state of the nation, NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said the current level of hardship surpasses what many Nigerians experienced during the civil war or the era of austerity measures. He described financial insecurity as the defining reality of life for the working class.
“Nigerians, especially workers, are currently confronted with the worst survival crisis in the history of our nation—worse than the civil war years and even the era of austerity measures,” Ajaero said. “At the heart of this crisis is the growing scourge of financial insecurity.”
He noted that Nigerian workers now rank at the bottom when compared to workers in many African countries, including nations devastated by war. According to him, when work no longer guarantees the ability to afford food and other basic needs, survival becomes an everyday struggle. Ajaero said the inability of wages to meet basic living costs has left workers stressed, insecure, and stripped of hope for savings, asset accumulation, or long-term financial stability.
The NLC also drew attention to the compounding effects of insecurity across the country, including terrorism by Boko Haram and the Islamic State-West Africa Province (ISWAP), banditry, and kidnapping. It said physical insecurity has deepened financial insecurity, creating a vicious and mutually reinforcing crisis.
The labour congress faulted Nigeria’s economic realities, noting that workers’ incomes have continued to decline despite increased productivity. It cited Nigeria’s inflation rate, which exceeded 30 per cent in 2024, as one of the highest globally, severely eroding purchasing power.
According to the NLC, real wages have stagnated or collapsed, with salaries in both the public and private sectors failing to keep pace with inflation. The national minimum wage of N70,000 was described as grossly inadequate, with the price of a single bag of rice now exceeding the monthly minimum wage.
The NLC further blamed the sharp depreciation of the naira for escalating living costs, noting that the rising prices of imported goods, fuel, and services have placed additional pressure on workers. Rising fuel prices, the Congress said, have pushed up transportation and production costs, which are passed on to consumers. Food inflation has become so severe that many households now spend up to 80 per cent of their monthly income on food alone, making proper nutrition largely unaffordable. High unemployment and underemployment were also identified as major factors, creating a surplus of job seekers, suppressing wages, and fueling the growth of insecure, low-paying informal jobs.
The labour congress lamented the weakness of social safety nets, stating that unemployment benefits, health insurance, and pension coverage remain inadequate or completely absent for many workers, especially those in the informal sector. Even contributory pension schemes in the formal sector, it said, often deliver insufficient benefits due to low contributions and economic volatility.
Housing and transportation costs were described as another major burden, with urban rents and transport fares far outstripping workers’ incomes. In some cases, workers are reportedly forced to remain at their workplaces throughout the week because they cannot afford daily transportation home.
The NLC also criticised multiple taxation and deductions, including taxes, pension contributions, and union dues, which it said further erode take-home pay without corresponding improvements in public services. Rising electricity and telecommunications tariffs, along with highway tolls, were cited as intensifying workers’ financial hardship.
According to the NLC, the failure of public infrastructure has compelled workers to spend large portions of their income on alternative power supply, water, security, and private healthcare. Ajaero warned that widespread insecurity and displacement have created one of the gravest financial crises for Nigerian workers, with conflict destroying livelihoods, displacing families, and wiping out assets in many regions.
He said Nigerian workers are trapped in a relentless squeeze between macroeconomic instability and systemic failure, where soaring inflation, a weakening currency, and stagnant wages have destroyed purchasing power, while the high cost of essentials consumes most incomes.
Without urgent and comprehensive interventions to stabilise the economy, raise real incomes and strengthen social protection systems, the NLC warned that the crisis would continue to undermine workers’ well-being and the nation’s economic future.
“It is in the interest of the Federal Government, and indeed the nation, that decisive action is taken to address these threats facing Nigerian workers,” Ajaero said.