Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that arrests, harassment and intimidation will not stop organised labour from fighting for workers’ rights and economic justice in Nigeria.
Ajaero spoke in Oslo, Norway, while receiving the 2026 Arthur Svensson International Award, a global recognition for labour rights activism.
The NLC president accused authorities of using arrests, surveillance and other forms of intimidation to silence labour leaders and workers demanding improved living conditions.
He recounted what he described as years of persecution, including detention, repeated interrogations, allegations of cybercrime and treason, attacks on labour activities and constant surveillance.
“In Nigeria today, to defend a living wage is to become a target of the state. To demand that a worker should not die of hunger in a country swimming in crude oil is to be labelled an enemy of the state,” Ajaero said.
He alleged that he had been arrested, questioned and threatened over his labour activities.
“I have been dragged before state agencies for questioning on trumped-up charges of terrorism financing, cybercrime, criminal conspiracy, subversion and treasonable felony,” he stated.
Ajaero further claimed that his residence in Lagos was destroyed by fire, while labour offices and picket lines had been targeted by security agencies.
“Our members have been sacked for demanding a minimum wage in the midst of hyperinflation. I have been detained illegally, questioned for hours and threatened in dark rooms because we refused to tell Nigerian workers that their suffering is normal,” he said.
Despite the challenges, the labour leader insisted that the movement would remain steadfast.
“They have the jails, the guns and the instruments of fear. However, we have the power; the power to stop the world because we move the world. We create wealth. We are workers,” he added.
Ajaero dedicated the award to Nigerian workers, saying the honour symbolises the resilience of the labour movement in the face of growing economic hardship and repression.
