Keypoints:
- Poverty in Nigeria limits work choices and fuels exploitation
- Insecurity and job precarity reinforce each other
- Decent work is critical for national stability and growth
ON Friday, May 1, 2026, between 11:00 and 11:45 a.m., I joined listeners on WASH 94.9 FM in Lagos, Nigeria’s first health-focused radio station, to reflect on the meaning of work in the country. The discussion, held to mark International Workers’ Day, centred on a growing national crisis: the erosion of dignity in labour and its deep links to poverty and insecurity.
International Workers’ Day is not merely symbolic. It compels societies to confront the realities of how their citizens work, the dignity attached to labour, and the obligations of governments and employers. In Nigeria, where millions operate under fragile and often exploitative conditions, the day carries urgent relevance.
The fading meaning of work in Nigeria
Work in Nigeria has long extended beyond income. It has historically shaped identity, reinforced dignity, and anchored individuals within families and communities. Farmers sustained not just crops but livelihoods; traders upheld trust networks that connected regions.
That meaning is steadily eroding. Economic pressure, unemployment, and weak social protections have reduced work to survival. Today, many Nigerians labour extensively yet remain trapped in poverty. Employment no longer guarantees dignity.
This shift has created a troubling disconnect: work exists, but its value—social, economic, and moral—has diminished.
Poverty as the absence of choice
Poverty in Nigeria is not only about income deprivation; it is fundamentally about constrained choice. When individuals lack options, they accept what can best be described as coercive jobs—work taken not by preference but by necessity.
These jobs often involve low wages, unsafe conditions, delayed payments, and outright exploitation. A graduate may accept underpaid teaching work in a failing school. A mother may hawk goods along dangerous roads. A labourer may endure unsafe construction environments without protective gear.
In such contexts, refusal is not realistic. Poverty forces participation in work that undermines health, dignity, and long-term prospects. In extreme cases, it pushes individuals into forced labour, trafficking networks, or criminal economies.
These are not employment outcomes—they are survival responses.
The poverty–insecurity trap
The relationship between poverty and insecurity is both direct and cyclical. Poverty breeds vulnerability, frustration, and desperation, creating fertile ground for crime and conflict. Young people without opportunities are more easily drawn into gangs or armed groups.
Conversely, insecurity destroys livelihoods. Farms are abandoned, markets collapse, and businesses close under the threat of violence. Displacement pushes families into urban poverty, deepening social strain.
Breaking this cycle requires more than policing or military spending. Security interventions may suppress symptoms temporarily, but only decent work can address root causes.
What decent work means in Nigeria
Decent work must be understood in practical Nigerian terms. It is lawful and productive employment that pays fairly, ensures safety, respects dignity, and offers future prospects.
This definition extends beyond formal employment. Farming, trading, artisanal work, and digital services can all qualify—provided they meet standards of fairness, safety, and sustainability.
By contrast, any job that dehumanises or impoverishes workers cannot be considered decent, regardless of how widespread it is. Employment that destroys dignity is not progress.
Decent work is therefore both an economic necessity and a moral imperative.
The informal economy and a widening deficit
Nigeria’s labour challenge is not simply unemployment—it is underprotection. A vast majority of workers operate in the informal economy without contracts, insurance, pensions, or legal safeguards.
This reality creates a ‘decent work deficit’. Workers are active but vulnerable.
A market trader without access to healthcare or credit remains economically exposed. A motorcycle rider without insurance faces daily risk. A digital worker without legal recognition lacks long-term security.
Closing this gap requires shifting focus from job quantity to job quality.
Policy failure and the path forward
International Workers’ Day should serve as a national audit. Where work is unsafe or underpaid, policy has failed. Where decent jobs exist, stability follows.
Nigeria’s challenge is not merely job creation—it is the creation of decent jobs. This demands coordinated reforms:
Economic diversification to expand opportunities beyond oil;
Investment in education and skills development;
Expansion of social protection systems;
Strong governance to tackle corruption;
Support for local enterprises and community-driven initiatives.
Without these measures, work will remain coercive, and insecurity will persist.
Dignity as the foundation of renewal
Dignity is the essence of work. Where decent work thrives, poverty recedes and insecurity weakens.
Nigeria’s future depends on restoring work as a pathway to stability and fulfilment, not mere survival. A society where farmers operate safely, traders earn fairly, and workers are respected is one positioned for lasting growth.
International Workers’ Day reminds us that work is not just economic—it is a covenant. A promise that effort will be met with dignity, safety, and hope.
Honouring that promise is Nigeria’s clearest path to national renewal.
