The Nigeria Labour Congress has raised concerns over the country’s poor global standing on workers’ rights, revealing that Nigeria has once again been ranked among the 10 worst nations in the world for labour rights violations.
The NLC described the ranking as a national embarrassment and called on employers to lead the charge in reversing the trend.
The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, made this known during the 68th Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, held in Lagos on Wednesday.
Represented by the Deputy President of the NLC and immediate past President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Adewale Adeyanju, Ajaero said the latest 2025 ITUC Global Rights Index placed Nigeria among the worst violators of workers’ rights globally.
“This is a stain on our conscience and a legacy none of us should accept. Many of these violations occur within enterprises represented here,” he said.
Ajaero urged NECA to lead by example in promoting respect for labour laws and upholding the principles of collective bargaining.
He further called for deeper collaboration between employers and organised labour in implementing resolutions reached at the recent 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva.
He called on NECA to join the NLC in domesticating new International Labour Organisation conventions, including the Convention and Recommendation on Decent Work in the Platform Economy, as well as the Biohazards Convention, which enhances workplace safety and health protections.
Ajaero also reiterated the NLC’s demand for the establishment of a Standing Committee between the NLC and NECA, stressing that such a mechanism was necessary for continuous dialogue, dispute prevention, and conflict resolution.
The NLC president condemned ongoing efforts by some state governors and lawmakers to remove labour matters from the Exclusive Legislative List, warning that such moves could destabilise industrial relations across the country.
“These misguided attempts reveal a dangerous ignorance of the chaos this would unleash. In moments like this, our unity is our shield,” he cautioned.
Ajaero further expressed concern over the broader societal issues affecting the labour environment, including repression, shrinking civic space, and economic exclusion.
He reminded employers of the integral role workers play in sustaining businesses, stressing the importance of fairness and justice in workplace relations.
