Two prominent labour leaders, Andrew Emelieze and Itoro Obong, have petitioned the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations (UN), accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of exploiting Nigerian workers.

Emelieze, a former Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Oyo State, and Obong, Vice Chairman of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (Akwa Ibom chapter), jointly submitted the complaint under the Federal Workers’ Forum (FWF).

In the petition, they announced plans to stage an indefinite nationwide protest starting April 22, 2025, over what they described as the Nigerian government’s unfair treatment of workers.

The labour leaders condemned the executive, legislative, and judicial branches for failing to protect workers' rights, stating: “The government has implemented harsh policies, including fuel price hikes, naira devaluation, and soaring inflation, while ignoring ILO and UN conventions on fair wages and decent working conditions.”*

They further accused the Tinubu administration of continuing the “anti-worker policies” of past governments, leaving salaries stagnant amid rising living costs. The petition also linked Nigeria’s economic crisis to increased illegal migration, citing the country’s high rate of deadly Mediterranean crossings.

The FWF demanded sanctions against the Nigerian government and criticized the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and TUC for inadequate worker representation.

“Workers are treated with disdain, and the current administration has done nothing to improve their plight,” the petition read. “We call on the ILO and UN to hold Nigeria accountable.”

The planned protest aims to pressure the government into addressing workers’ demands for better wages and working conditions.