The Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) has warned the Federal Government against using the N70,000 temporary relief for workers as a ploy to stall the 2027 national minimum wage review or reverse gains already secured through collective bargaining.
The group also demanded improved welfare, housing and social protection for journalists to encourage robust journalism in Nigeria.
The group conveyed these in a 16-point communique issued at the end of its 2026 Annual Conference held on October 30 at Golden Tulip, Lagos, with the theme “Workers at the Centre of Nigeria’s Political Transition: Defending Rights, Advancing Welfare and Building Economic Justice.”
According to LAWAN, though the N70,000 relief provided for six months can offer immediate support amid rising transportation costs, it must not replace long-term solutions to the transport crisis and, must not be used to diminish gains already made by workers through wage negotiations.
It emphasized that a six-month allowance is not a wage and must not become an excuse to delay the minimum wage that is due for implementation from April 2027 and must reflect prevailing inflation, cost-of-living, naira value and the real cost of food, housing and transportation based on credible economic data rather than arbitrary figures.
The confab further expressed serious concern over poor remuneration and unfavourable working conditions in the media industry, calling on the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to strengthen its trade union role by actively engaging media proprietors in collective bargaining to improve salaries and conditions of service.
It noted that journalism remains an employment-based occupation that requires robust union representation, and further calling for the revival of a journalists’ housing scheme through mortgage institutions and comprehensive welfare programmes covering healthcare, transportation and retirement security to address rising living costs and frequent job movements occasioned by poor pay.
It advised media owners to guarantee job security, pension and decent conditions capable of sustaining a productive workforce where the welfare of serving journalists is linked to the future security of retired colleagues.
LAWAN advocated the need for specialised training in labour reporting beyond strikes to cover collective bargaining, dispute resolution, workers’ rights and social protection.
It urged LAWAN, NLC, TUC and other stakeholders to organise regular training for labour journalists and to ensure balanced engagement with labour, employers and government, while cautioning that collective bargaining agreements must be realistic, sustainable and enforceable and that journalists must scrutinise employers’ financial capacity, productivity and revenue profiles rather than merely celebrating salary increases that cannot be implemented and would ultimately undermine workers’ interests.
The labour journalists implored government to develop sustainable and affordable public transport systems including CNG-powered and electric vehicles, maintaining that improved workers’ welfare and purchasing power remain critical drivers of economic growth, domestic consumption and local businesses.
The association also advised that workers must therefore be placed at the centre of economic policy with decent jobs, affordable living costs and social justice, while also calling for greater transparency in the management of natural resources and public revenues, prioritising domestic refining of crude oil and clear accounting for extra crude earnings, noting that Nigeria cannot continue to depend on borrowing despite its resource endowments.
The conference further called on the leadership of the NLC and TUC to resolve their differences and strengthen cooperation through a possible memorandum of understanding to present a united front against anti-worker policies.
It urged increased education on the history and negotiation strategies of the labour movement, and urged workers to exercise political responsibility as electioneering approaches by rejecting vote-selling and making informed choices based on policies that advance their collective interests, warning that workers who compromise their electoral rights cannot expect organised labour to undo governments whose emergence they facilitated.
The association further expressed concern over the social consequences for workers and pensioners, insisting that reforms must be accompanied by adequate social protection and respect for the rule of law, including full implementation of judicial decisions on pensioners’ entitlements such as the longstanding dispute involving Central Bank of Nigeria pensioners.
It reasoned that social security must be recognised as fundamental to human dignity and called for expanded protection against occupational injuries, disabilities, unemployment and healthcare needs and for employers to comply with the Employees’ Compensation Scheme administered by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), increased awareness and stronger collaboration to close social security gaps.
It also advised governments at all levels to ensure public sector reforms balance efficiency with workers’ rights, warning that cost-cutting driven restructuring could lead to job losses, casualisation, wage stagnation and weakened service delivery, and urged prior engagement with trade unions, investment in retraining, skills development, safety, fair severance and pension guarantees for affected workers, while charging journalists to scrutinise reform implementation through evidence-based reporting.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to responsible labour reporting, collective bargaining and inclusive governance, resolving that workers’ welfare must remain central to Nigeria’s political transition and economic reforms and that sustainable growth cannot be achieved without decent wages, secure employment, effective social protection and institutional accountability.
It stressed the need for the Federal Government, organised labour, employers, media and civil society to translate its recommendations into concrete actions to improve the living and working conditions of Nigerian workers.
