- In its official Eid-el-Kabir address, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) strongly condemned the country’s worsening economic and security situation, asserting that millions of ordinary citizens are bleeding under harsh neoliberal reforms.
- The labour union explicitly linked the nationwide rise in kidnappings, banditry, and communal violence to systemic failures in leadership, arguing that public safety and citizen welfare have been heavily sidelined.
- Adopting a distinct political posture ahead of the 2027 general elections, the NLC urged the working class, unemployed youth, and traders to utilize their future ballots to actively reject exploitative economic policies.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has heavily criticized the country’s declining economic stability and deteriorating internal security, stating that millions of ordinary Nigerians are currently experiencing intense hardship due to policies that have worsened poverty and instability across the federation.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in an official Sallah dispatch issued on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, ahead of the annual Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, the organized labour body declared that the working class and the poor are bearing the brunt of recent fiscal adjustments.
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Signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the statement emphasized that the fundamental duty of state executives must focus entirely on protecting human lives and providing foundational necessities, including food, shelter, quality healthcare, and decent jobs, rather than prioritizing corporate profits over people.
The union’s sharp assessment adds to an escalating wave of public friction regarding the deep structural transformations rolled out by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
While major international financial bodies have lauded aggressive measures like the complete elimination of petrol subsidies and foreign exchange liberalization as vital steps to secure public finance, these choices have triggered massive domestic hyperinflation, surging transit fees, and an aggressive escalation in food costs.
The NLC maintained that these economic realities, compounded by a severe lack of public spending discipline among political leaders, have completely erased the festive cheer typically associated with the holy season.
Compounding these economic concerns, the NLC raised major alarms over the unchecked spread of regional insecurity, highlighting that widespread banditry, rampant kidnappings, herdsmen conflicts, and urban crime serve as a direct indictment of Nigeria’s current governance model.
The labour center accused political elites of continuously demanding financial sacrifices from everyday citizens while remaining completely unwilling to trim government waste or demonstrate ethical leadership conduct in public office.
Consequently, the union challenged political leaders to use this spiritual period of sacrifice to re-examine their policies and deliberately build an inclusive system that serves the majority rather than a select few.
Looking beyond immediate worker welfare concerns, the labour body intentionally used its holiday address to outline a strategic political agenda ahead of the 2027 general election cycle.
Warning that unkept administration promises, the systematic victimization of peaceful protesters, and deliberate policy-induced impoverishment will not be forgotten, the NLC urged the country’s vulnerable demographics to unite.
The union called on workers, market traders, and unemployed youths to transform the upcoming electoral phase into a unified front, instructing citizens to treat their votes as direct weapons against hunger, systemic exploitation, and national insecurity.
