Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured workers in the state of a continued review of the minimum wage, as he celebrated this year's Workers' Day. Speaking at the event held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, Lagos, the governor emphasized that his administration views workers as the living infrastructure of the most consequential city in Africa, not merely as a budget line or a voting bloc.
Governor's Assurance on Wage Review
Sanwo-Olu, represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, stated that conversations on a further review of the minimum wage remain open and that engagement with organised labour continues. Despite a lower turnout compared to previous years, the governor's promise of improved wages delighted the crowd. The 2026 theme, 'Insecurity, Poverty: Bane of Decent Work,' aimed to provide an honest assessment of the conditions hindering Nigerian workers from achieving genuine dignity.
Sanwo-Olu acknowledged that dialogue with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has not always been smooth, but he believes a government must withstand scrutiny from organised labour. He addressed the theme of insecurity plainly, stating that the safety of workers on the street, on the bus, at the market, and in the office is foundational. He noted that investments in security infrastructure, community policing, surveillance network expansion, and partnerships with federal security agencies are part of the labour agenda.
'Lagos is not great because of its government. Lagos is great because of the teacher who stays after hours, the nurse who takes a third shift, the artisan who passes their trade to the next generation, and the civil servant who processes the thousandth form with the same care as the first. Our job is to make sure that the city you are building is also a city that works for you. We have not finished that work, but we are closer than ever, and we will not stop,' Sanwo-Olu said.
Gig Workers Demand Improved Welfare
Meanwhile, the Committee of Gig Workers' Unions of Nigeria (COGWUJ) has demanded proper recognition and improved welfare. COGWUJ is a coalition of 13 gig workers' unions, including the Nigerian Union of Good Delivery App Transporters (NUFDAPPT), the Nigerian Union of Digital Personal Service Employees (NUDPSE), and the Nigerian Union of App-Based Home Services Employees (NUAPHSE). The group stated that the fate of gig workers is nothing to write home about and called for recognition as workers under Nigerian labour law, as well as the right to social protection and pensions.
Socialist Equality Party's Perspective
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), in political solidarity with the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), extended solidarity with workers and youth in Nigeria and globally. The SEP noted that working people in Nigeria now stand at an important crossroads in history. In less than eight months, working-class people will be queuing up for elections in which they have no party of their own and will be left to choose between their oppressors.
The SEP criticised the Labour Party, stating that in 2023, it was largely run by right-wing party bureaucrats as a money-making 'commercial vehicle' for defectors from dominant pro-rich parties such as the People's Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress. Many of its members have since defected to the APC or PDP. The SEP argued that the APC, ADC, PDP, and similar parties are essentially the same, and the Labour Party does not have a fundamentally different character or programme. Working people need a party of their own, founded on a programme of socialism and equality.
The formation of the Socialist Equality Party is principled, based on an analysis of the crisis in Nigeria and Africa within the broader crisis of world capitalism, and on the strategic experiences of the working class and the international socialist movement. The SEP is building an international mass movement of workers and youth to challenge global capitalism.
