Nigeria's Labour Movement: Yesterday, Today and Generation Z
Insecurity and Poverty: The Bane of Decent Work Nigeria's Labour Movement: Yesterday, Today and Generation Z By Dada, Olumuyiwa Olumide, LLB, ACIPM, HRPL As Nigeria marks International Workers' Day, this year's theme, Insecurity and Poverty: The Bane of Decent Work, speaks directly to the lived reality of millions of workers. It identifies a troubling paradox at the heart of the country's political economy, namely that employment no longer guarantees security, stability, or dignity. For a growing number of Nigerians, work is not a pathway out of poverty; it is simply a different way of enduring it. May Day 2025 is therefore not ceremonial. It is an occasion for honest reckoning. The National Bureau of Statistics reports that 93 per cent of Nigeria's workers are in informal employment, without contracts, pensions, or health coverage. Inflation, which exceeded 33 per cent in 2024, had already eroded the purchasing power of workers before the new N70,000 minimu...