Emamuzo Iboma
Organised Labour has called on the Federal Government to increase the retirement age for civil servants from 60 to 65 years. The demand was made during the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja, where the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) jointly addressed the nation’s deepening economic crisis and the deteriorating welfare of workers.
Speaking with palpable frustration, NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC President Festus Osifo decried the government’s failure to prioritize workers’ welfare, accusing it of deliberately impoverishing those who keep the nation functioning.
“Nigerian workers are hungry, angry, and suffering. We feel betrayed by those in power. Is it a crime to be a worker in Nigeria?” the labour leaders lamented. “We have become some of the poorest workers on earth. Where is the justice in the wages we are paid?”
They condemned the widening gap between rising inflation and stagnant salaries, asserting that civil servants are being crushed by economic hardship while leaders ignore it.
Highlighting the collapse of the country’s energy sector, the unions slammed the government’s failure to revive the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries despite massive investments and repeated promises. They argued that energy poverty remains a major drag on national development, made worse by mismanagement and corruption.
“It is absurd that Dangote Refinery imports crude while exporting refined products, yet Nigeria continues to import petroleum products. It defies logic,” they stated. “A nation that mismanages its energy resources is on the path to economic ruin.”
The unions also criticised Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity, describing the celebration of 5,528mw for over 200 million people as shameful, especially when compared to South Africa’s 43,000mw for a much smaller population.
They questioned the rationale behind the high electricity tariffs that burden citizens and government officials. “If the President spends N10 billion on solar energy because of the high electricity bills at the Villa, how will ordinary Nigerians cope?” they asked.
This year’s Workers’ Day theme, “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the Midst of Economic Hardship,” was a rallying cry against growing repression. Labour leaders condemned government efforts to silence protests, suppress speech, and exclude workers from policy decisions.
“We are the voice of the voiceless. We will not be silent. The real enemy is not the people speaking out, but those who remain silent in the face of injustice,” they declared.
Among their 20-point demand list to federal and state governments are:
Raising the retirement age to 65 or 40 years of service across all civil service levels.
Restoring gratuities and clearing all unpaid allowances and pensions.
Reversing the privatisation of the electricity sector.
Reducing telecom tariffs.
Implementing a national minimum pension.
Halting indiscriminate registration of new unions.
Ensuring transparent governance and protection of civic freedoms.
Labour also demanded the reinstatement of the Rivers State Government, terming its suspension unconstitutional, and called for greater accountability across all arms of government.
