President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared insecurity and poverty a national emergency during a May 1 address to thousands of workers and labour leaders at Eagle Square, linking the twin challenges to declining productivity, job loss and national instability.
Speaking through Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, Tinubu said that decent work cannot flourish in an environment plagued by fear and economic hardship. The remarks were timed with the International Labour Organization’s May Day theme centred on the Decent Work Agenda.
Tinubu identified insecurity and poverty as “significant obstacles” but asserted that his administration is tackling them with urgency. He highlighted the Community Protection Guards Initiative, which has recruited 45,000 young Nigerians to bolster community security and create employment.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the government has expanded cash‑transfer programmes to reach 15 million vulnerable households, a move Tinubu said will lift an estimated 7.5 million Nigerians out of poverty. He also cited major infrastructure projects—including the Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway and the Ajaokuta‑Kaduna‑Kano gas pipeline—that have generated more than 600,000 jobs nationwide.
On workers’ welfare, Tinubu announced the implementation of a new national minimum wage, clearance of pension arrears and the reinstatement of gratuity payments beginning January 2026. Over 800,000 informal‑sector workers have been enrolled in a micro‑pension scheme, and small‑business owners continue to benefit from a N200 billion MSME support fund.
“The government cannot achieve decent work where workers fear for their lives, where wages cannot feed a family, or where insecurity disrupts farms, factories and markets,” Tinubu said. He stressed that the Decent Work Agenda is not merely an international framework but a national imperative that demands safe, inclusive and productive labour conditions.
Addressing representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and other unions, Tinuto called for sustained dialogue and restraint in industrial action, urging that strikes be a last resort. He praised security forces for safeguarding economic activities, noting that improved safety is directly linked to job creation and national growth.
The president concluded that Nigeria remains on track to overcome insecurity and reduce poverty, pledging a future in which “decent work is not a privilege for a few, but a reality for all.” The administration’s next steps include scaling up community security initiatives, expanding social protection programmes and maintaining infrastructure investment to sustain employment growth.
