The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria TUC, has called on the Nigerian Government to sustain food imports, strengthen security and urgently address exchange-rate pressures.
It says the measures are necessary to reduce the cost of living and ease economic hardship confronting Nigerians.
TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, made the call during a State of the nation a press briefing in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, saying food imports should continue until insecurity is sufficiently addressed to allow farmers to return safely to their farms and increase domestic food production.
Osifo said the union supports government’s food-importation policy “because it had helped reduce the prices of staple commodities”, warning that ending imports before resolving supply constraints could trigger another surge in food prices.
“This food importation could be stopped only and only if farmers could go back to farm,” Osifo said, urging the government to sustain the policy while tackling insecurity.
He also called for stronger action to stabilise the naira, arguing that the current exchange rate remained too high despite improvements from about 1,800 naira to the dollar in early 2024 to around 1,400 naira presently, insisting that the naira can move towards 900 to 1,000 naira to the dollar.
The TUC President said the exchange-rate pressures had not been adequately reflected in workers’ earnings, leaving employees to bear the impact of higher prices for food, imported goods and other essentials.
“The only people that devaluation hurts is actually the workers”, who he said their salaries had not increased proportionately with the rise in the cost of goods and services.
On security, the TUC president urged the government and the National Assembly to fast-track legislation establishing State police, saying stronger local security structures were necessary to enable farmers to return to their farms and protect communities.
“For us, we think that State Police is ripe. We think that the time to implement State Police is now.”
He also called for greater use of technology and modern equipment in tackling insecurity, describing national security as a prerequisite for sustainable economic development.
On the ongoing aviation dispute, Osifo said TUC fully supported the strike by its affiliate, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSAN, over workers’ rights to unionise and alleged non-remittance of a five per cent ticket charge estimated at about 25 billion naira.
He said the union was seeking a lasting resolution to the dispute rather than temporary measures that could lead to repeated industrial action.
At the country’s refineries, TUC advocated a model in which the government retains a maximum of 49 per cent equity while technically capable private investors hold 51 per cent, arguing that such an arrangement would reduce political interference and improve commercial management.
“The government equity should be drawn down, but the refinery must not be sold outrightly,” Osifo said.
The TUC also commended the Department of State Services DSS, for the recent arrests of suspected terrorists and bandits, urging authorities to prosecute suspects and ensure that convictions serve as a deterrent to others.
The TUC equally welcomed the reported 50 to 80 per cent increase in military salaries, describing it as a step in the right direction, but urged the government to extend similar improvements to the wider Nigerian workforce.
“While we thank you for increasing the salaries of the military, we also call on you to extend it to every Nigerian worker.”
The union further commended Health the Minister, Professor Ali Pate, for intervening in a dispute involving one of its affiliates, saying his swift action led to the release of detained workers and the reopening of affected factories.
