NLC condemns worsening economy, insecurity in Eid message

The Nigeria Labour Congress has criticised Nigeria’s worsening economic and security conditions, saying millions of citizens were enduring severe hardship under policies that have deepened poverty and insecurity across the country.

In a Sallah message issued on Wednesday ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, the labour union said Nigerian workers and the poor were bleeding under the weight of neoliberal policies, while calling on political leaders to reflect on the consequences of their economic decisions.

The statement, signed by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said governance should focus on protecting lives and providing citizens with basic necessities such as food, shelter, healthcare, education, and decent jobs rather than pursuing policies that favour profits over people.

“As we mark Eid-el-Kabir, a festival of sacrifice and obedience, the NLC reminds all Nigerians that this celebration should be different,” the union said. “The working class and the poor majority are bleeding under the weight of neoliberal policies.”

The comments add to growing criticism from labour groups and civil society organisations over the economic impact of reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the removal of petrol subsidies and foreign exchange liberalisation, measures authorities say are necessary to stabilise public finances and attract investment.

While the reforms have been praised by international financial institutions, they have also contributed to soaring inflation, rising transportation and food costs, and mounting pressure on household incomes in Africa’s most populous nation.

The labour union said insecurity across the country had further worsened living conditions, citing kidnappings, bandit attacks, communal violence, and urban crime as evidence of governance failures.

“The worsening insecurity that now threatens the existence of our nation, from banditry to kidnapping, from herdsmen bloodshed to urban violence, is a direct indictment of our governance model,” the statement said.

The union also accused political leaders of demanding sacrifices from citizens while failing to demonstrate restraint in public spending and leadership conduct.

“This season demands that our leaders search for themselves and decide to work for a Nigeria that will work for the majority and not for the few who occupy high public offices,” the NLC said.

Beyond the immediate economic concerns, the union used the message to signal an increasingly political posture ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that Nigerian workers and ordinary citizens would hold leaders accountable at the ballot box.

The NLC said it would not forget “promises not kept, the brutalisation of peaceful protesters, and the deliberate impoverishment of workers under the guise of policy hard choices.”

The union sees the next election cycle as a potential moment of reckoning in which workers, unemployed youths, traders, and other vulnerable groups could unite politically against what it calls anti-people policies.

“We are entering a phase where every vote must be a weapon against hunger, insecurity, and exploitation,” the union said.

The labour body also urged Nigerians to use the Eid period not only for religious celebrations and prayer, but for “political education, grassroots organising, and the building of a united front of the oppressed.”