2027 Elections: Trade Unions, CSOs Plan Social Protection Coalition

Trade unions, civil society organisations and informal workers’ movements have agreed to establish a coalition to strengthen advocacy for comprehensive social protection in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The decision was reached at the end of a two-day coalition-building meeting on “Strengthening Trade Union and Civil Society Joint Advocacy for Social Protection in Nigeria,” held in Abuja.

The meeting was convened by the Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) in collaboration with the Federation of Informal Workers Organisations of Nigeria (FIWON), with support from the Solidarity Centre and technical inputs from the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Participants from trade unions, civil society organisations, policy advocacy groups, and informal workers’ associations deliberated on the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection systems and to ensure greater democratic accountability in governance.

In his opening address, OTUWA executive secretary, Comrade John Odah, said the organisation is committed to advancing improved social protection for workers, especially those in the informal sector.

He said, “In the last few years, with support from Solidarity Centre, OTUWA has concentrated some work around the issue of extending healthcare to the key segment of the population that is not adequately covered.”

The participants at the workshop resolved to establish the Citizen Coalition for Social Protection, a national platform that will coordinate advocacy for universal access to healthcare, income security, pensions, and social services for all Nigerians, particularly workers in the informal economy and other vulnerable groups.

The coalition also agreed to promote social protection as a fundamental human right and democratic entitlement, while engaging political parties and electoral candidates to adopt a Minimum Social Protection Agenda in their manifestos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Also, FIWON general secretary, Gbenga Komolafe, noted that social protection in Nigeria remains inadequate and fragmented, with millions of workers lacking access to basic protections such as healthcare coverage, pensions, and income security.

He identified High out-of-pocket healthcare costs and weak policy coordination as major barriers to effective social protection delivery.

He expressed appreciation to the Solidarity Center and the National Democratic Institute for their support toward strengthening democratic governance and social protection advocacy in Nigeria.

The meeting emphasized the importance of citizen participation in policy formulation and the need to frame social protection as a central issue of democratic governance and electoral accountability.

As part of its advocacy roadmap toward 2027, the coalition resolved to organise national and sub-national policy dialogues, engage political parties, conduct media campaigns on social protection rights, promote voter education initiatives, and develop a candidate accountability scorecard to track political commitments.