5 hours ago
2
…says workers can no longer freely express themselves
By Ukpono Ukpong
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has sounded the alarm on the dangers of government restrictions on civic space, warning that such actions threaten the very fabric of democracy.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made this assertion at the 2025 Pre-May Day Lecture in Abuja, emphasizing that workers and unions can no longer freely express themselves in a country that claims to practice democracy.
The 2025 Pre-May Day Lecture was themed, “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the Midst of Economic Hardship.”
Ajaero lamented that the civic space was being compressed, citing instances where protests were forcefully stopped by security agencies.
He noted that even recent attempts by workers to protest minimum wage and economic hardship were met with resistance from authorities.
The NLC President stressed that compressing civic space not only undermines democracy but also imperils those who sponsor it.
He emphasized the labour movement’s duty to fight for an open civic space, ensuring citizens’ rights to free expression and assembly.
“These days, protests are being fought. People are not allowing Nigerins to protest freely. We tried to protest during the minimum wage and the hardship protest, but they tried to stop us.
“Forces are being used to compress the civic space, and if you do that, you match the end to democracy even those sponsoring it will be the potential victims of it.
“I think they are having a momentary relief, but it is not going to last. It is the duty of the civil society, the labour movement, to make sure that we will fight for the civic space to be open. He said.
Speaking further, the NLC President also said that student protests have been caged and many voices were being sponsored to work against popular views.
Ajaero added that the labour movement would continue to talk truth to power and fight for the rights of Nigerians.
Ajaero’s concerns were echoed by Prof. Christopher Chukwuma, who delivered the keynote address.
Chukwuma called for a review of laws restricting civic engagement, specifically highlighting the Cybercrime Act and Public Order Act as examples of legislation that stifle free speech and assembly.
The organised labour leader and the professor of international law both underscored the importance of civic space in a functioning democracy, warning that restrictions on protests, social media control, and attacks on media practitioners all pose significant threats to Nigeria’s democratic processes.
“The control of the social media, attack on media outfits and practitioners, limited access to justice, inadequate protection of human rights defenders and insult are all threats to the civic space in Nigeria.
“Even though the economic hardship could kill the civic space or the actors by diverting attention to survival, Nigerian workers have an opportunity to resuscitate, reclaim their civic space.
“Therefore, there is a need for a focus for policy reforms. There should be a need for certain restrictive laws to be amended.
“The NLC can advocate for changes in certain laws that potentially criminalize civic engagement, such as the Cybercrime Act and the Public Order Act. The NLC can do that.
“The NLC can advocate for reforms that prevent excessive force against civic actors and increase transparency and oversight of security agencies, especially towards human rights defenders or activists, among others,” he said
English (US) ·