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From Bimbola Oyesola,
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s labour, policy and civil society sectors on Thursday raised the alarm over the growing impact of global conflicts and economic instability on workers, warning that millions of jobs and livelihoods are under threat if urgent measures are not taken to protect vulnerable citizens.
The warning came during a high-level dialogue on “Rising Global Conflict, Severe Economic Shocks: Impact on Decent Work Agenda – Labour and Civil Society Responses,” held at the conference hall of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos.
The event, jointly organised by the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, focused on the devastating effects of global conflicts, inflation and economic shocks on labour markets and workers’ welfare.
Delivering the keynote message on behalf of the Minister of Labour and Employment, the Director of Labour, South-West Zone, Mrs. Mienye Badejo, said the labour sector remained one of the hardest hit by the worsening global crisis.
“The labour sector is directly exposed through conflict-related disruptions, damage to economic activity, displacement, energy and trade shocks, as well as increasing pressure on migrant workers and refugees,” Badejo said.
She warned that the effects of the crisis were already being felt across workplaces and households, with rising inflation, shrinking purchasing power and worsening living conditions deepening hardship for ordinary Nigerians.
“The conflict is expected to affect labour markets for some time, and the scale and duration of the impact will depend on how the global situation evolves,” she added.
Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Issa Aremu, said workers, particularly those in informal employment, were “at the receiving end” of the global economic crisis.
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“Workers, especially those in informal employment and migrant labourers, face the greatest risks because they often lack adequate social protection, legal safeguards and income security,” Aremu stated.
He called on governments, employers and labour unions to prioritise workers’ welfare through deliberate policies that would strengthen labour protection and social safety nets.
“We need employment-centred crisis responses anchored on social dialogue, stronger labour protections and adherence to international labour standards,” he said.
Aremu stressed that failure to act decisively could worsen unemployment, social unrest and inequality across Africa, noting that economic hardship had already forced many young people into dangerous migration routes in search of survival.
According to the concept note presented at the dialogue, the world is currently witnessing over 130 active armed conflicts, while Africa accounts for nearly 40 percent of global conflict zones.
The organisers noted that conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burkina Faso and Mali had displaced more than 35 million people and triggered severe humanitarian and economic crises across the continent.
Stakeholders at the event also expressed concern over the escalating crisis in the Middle East, particularly disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, warning that rising energy costs and instability in global trade routes could push the world economy closer to recession in 2026.
For Nigeria, participants said the consequences were becoming increasingly severe, with higher fuel prices, food inflation, currency instability and declining purchasing power placing enormous pressure on workers and businesses.
The dialogue ended with a strong call for urgent collaboration among government agencies, labour unions, civil society organisations and the private sector to develop practical solutions that would shield workers from the harsh effects of global economic shocks.
Participants also called for expanded social protection programmes, fair wages, investment in decent jobs and policies that would strengthen economic resilience and protect vulnerable citizens from falling deeper into poverty.
