The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that the combination of rising taxation, poor wages and mounting national debt poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s economic health and democratic stability.
The warning was issued by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, at the book launch and 85th birthday celebration of the founding President of the NLC, Hassan Summonu. Ajaero accused the Federal Government of excluding workers and the poor from key policy decisions that directly affect their livelihoods.
Speaking at the event, Ajaero described Summonu as a symbol of workers’ resistance and collective action, drawing inspiration from the title of his memoir, Organise, Don’t Agonise.
“Today, we honour a titan of the working-class struggle,” Ajaero said. “This is not just a book title; it is the militant creed that defines our movement. From shop floors to corridors of power, Comrade Summonu taught us that organised people remain the ultimate answer to exploitation and poor governance.”
He said the celebration was also an opportunity to reflect on the state of the nation and the worsening condition of Nigerian workers.
“This event transcends a personal celebration. It challenges us to ask how far Nigeria has gone in achieving the economic democracy for which Summonu and others fought,” he stated.
Raising concerns about public finance, Ajaero questioned the Federal Government’s borrowing pattern, echoing a recent public query by Summonu on the use of borrowed funds.
“Where are all the monies being borrowed by the Federal Government?” he asked.
The NLC President criticised the process that produced the new tax laws, alleging that organised labour and the masses were deliberately excluded from discussions, despite being the country’s major taxpayers.
“From the Presidential Committee on Tax, Nigerian workers were excluded. We warned of the dangers, and today the outcome is clear: laws that make workers and the poor poorer,” Ajaero said.
He condemned the taxation of the national minimum wage and what he described as regressive policies that impose heavier burdens on people already living in extreme poverty.
“Taxing the minimum wage is unjust. Tax policies that deepen poverty undermine social stability and democracy,” he added.
Ajaero called on the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the tax laws and re-engage organised labour and other stakeholders.
“There is nothing wrong with pausing, rethinking and redirecting. Insisting on pushing ahead amid confusion is like walking blindly in darkness,” he warned.
He also urged the government to immediately constitute the Board of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and address public concerns surrounding the tax reforms.
According to him, bypassing critical stakeholders and governing by force erodes public trust and threatens national stability.
“We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power,” Ajaero declared. “We will fight for a Nigeria where no worker has to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy taxation or a stolen future burdened by debt.”
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