May Day: Tinubu Declares Insecurity, Poverty National Emergencies

President Bola  Tinubu yesterday used the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration to confront Nigeria’s twin crises of insecurity and poverty, declaring them major threats to jobs, productivity and national stability.

Speaking at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the president told thousands of workers and labour leaders that there cannot be decent work where workers fear for their lives or where wages cannot feed a family, aligning his message with the global May Day theme on the Decent Work Agenda championed by the International Labour Organisation.

Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume,  Tinubu acknowledged that insecurity and poverty remained significant obstacles, but insisted that his administration was tackling both with urgency.

He pointed to the launch of the Community Protection Guards Initiative which he said had recruited 45,000 young Nigerians to secure communities while creating jobs.

According to a statement by the spokesman of the SGF, Yomi Odunuga, the president also highlighted a raft of economic and social interventions under his Renewed Hope Agenda, including expanded cash transfers reaching 15 million vulnerable households and lifting an estimated 7.5 million Nigerians out of poverty.

The president added that infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline had generated over 600,000 jobs.

On workers’ welfare, Tinubu said the government had implemented a new national minimum wage, cleared pension arrears, and reintroduced gratuity payments from January 2026. He further noted that over 800,000 informal sector workers have been enrolled in the micro pension scheme, while small businesses continue to benefit from a N200 billion MSME support fund.

He said: “There cannot be decent work where workers fear for their lives, where wages cannot feed a family, or where insecurity disrupts farms, factories, markets, and other economic activities. These hydra-headed challenges, the government notes, have been treated as a national emergency due to their impact on productivity, livelihoods, and the confidence of both workers and employers.

“The administration also acknowledged that insecurity and poverty remain major obstacles to building a peaceful Nigeria where citizens can “sleep with their eyes closed,” and to achieving the Decent Work Agenda as envisioned by the International Labour Organisation.

He stressed that the agenda is not merely an international framework but a national imperative, aligned with its vision of a country where hard work is rewarded, opportunities are accessible without discrimination, and every citizen can reach their full potential.

Despite the challenges, the government assured that it is not relenting in its efforts. It said it is confronting the issues through deliberate, coordinated, and sustained actions, backed by targeted policies and the resilience of security personnel—some of whom have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.

Addressing labour unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, the President called for sustained dialogue and restraint in industrial disputes.

“Strike should be the last resort, not the first,” he said, urging collaboration to achieve lasting reforms.

Tinubu also commended security forces for their role in protecting economic activities, linking improved safety directly to job creation and national growth.