‘Two years of pain’–NLC blasts Tinubu’s reform agenda

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has slammed President Bola Tinubu’s administration, branding his two years in office as a period of pain, poverty, and unfulfilled promises.

Speaking during a midterm review, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the so-called economic reforms have only deepened suffering for workers and ordinary Nigerians.

“When Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023, he promised economic revival,” Ajaero said. “But two years later, all we see is hunger, hardship, and hopelessness.”

Ajaero accused the government of recycling failed neoliberal policies that have never worked for Nigeria.

He said the abrupt removal of petrol subsidy plunged the economy into chaos, pushing pump prices from ₦187 to over ₦600 per litre without any safety net.

“Fuel subsidy removal was sold as a sacrifice,” he added. “But instead of development, Nigerians got inflation, mass hunger, and business closures.”

The NLC said the naira’s free fall has turned Nigeria into a dumping ground for imports, killing local industries.

“Market forces have destroyed the currency. Local goods are unaffordable. Workers’ wages have become worthless,” Ajaero stated.

He also decried rising inflation, saying 150 million Nigerians are now trapped in multidimensional poverty, while the government delays wage arrears.

“Pensioners, SMEs, and the working class are crushed by over 150% inflation. Wage awards remain unpaid,” he noted.

The NLC described Tinubu’s reforms as “economic deformations,” enriching elites while burying the poor.

Ajaero said the Federal Government has replaced dialogue with Labour with intimidation, court disobedience, and violence against protesting workers.

“They silence union leaders and criminalise protests,” he declared. “Meanwhile, government officials enjoy luxury, bloated budgets, and foreign trips.”

The NLC noted that Tinubu’s policies mirror past IMF-backed austerity experiments that widened inequality and rewarded the elite.

“Who benefits? Oil cartels, currency speculators, and offshore account holders,” Ajaero said. “Not the Nigerian people.”

On security, the NLC warned that no policy matters when citizens live in constant fear.

“Kidnappings, insurgency, and killings have become daily threats. The country is under siege,” he said. “You can’t attract investors in a war zone.”

He criticised the administration for focusing on economic statistics while citizens suffer insecurity and poverty.

“The country is burning, and leaders are discussing fiscal curtains. It’s absurd,” Ajaero added.

He concluded that unless the government changes direction, hope will never be renewed.

“Reforms that bring only pain are no reforms. They are weapons against the poor. This path must end,” he warned.

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