Workers’ rights, economic justice in spotlight at LAWAN’s conference

…Expects Ajaero, Osifo, Faleye, Oloworaran as top speakers

The Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) is set to hold its 2026 conference on Friday, October 30, in Lagos, with workers’ rights, welfare and economic justice taking centre stage. The conference, scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Airport Road, will bring together labour leaders, government officials, academics and other stakeholders to deliberate on issues affecting Nigerian workers.

The conference is themed, “Workers at the Centre of Nigeria’s Political Transition: Defending Rights, Advancing Welfare and Building Economic Justice.” The gathering is expected to provide a platform for discussions on how workers’ interests can be protected and their welfare advanced amid Nigeria’s ongoing political and economic changes.

Chairman of LAWAN, Toba Agboola, said the choice of theme reflects the association’s determination to place workers’ welfare and labour rights at the heart of conversations about the country’s political transition. He explained that the conference would focus on advancing economic justice and improving the well-being of Nigerian workers.

According to Agboola, the theme underscores the importance of ensuring that workers remain central to discussions and decisions that shape the nation’s political and economic future. The conference is expected to examine ways of strengthening labour rights, promoting better welfare and ensuring that economic policies take workers’ interests into account.

Among the prominent labour leaders expected at the event are the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo. Their participation is expected to contribute to deliberations on the challenges confronting workers and the role of organised labour in advocating improved working conditions and social protection.

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, and the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms Omolola Oloworaran, are listed as keynote speakers. Their contributions are expected to enrich discussions around workers’ welfare, social insurance, pension administration and the institutional measures needed to strengthen protections for Nigerian employees.

Other speakers scheduled to address the conference include Professor Tunde Akanni, Professor of Journalism at Lagos State University (LASU); Dr Ganiu Okunnu, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Relations and Advertising at LASU; and Ismail Bello, Deputy General Secretary of the NLC. Their participation will bring perspectives from journalism, public relations, academia and organised labour to the conference.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, and the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, are expected to attend as special guests of honour. Their presence is expected to add government perspectives to discussions on labour relations, employment, workers’ welfare and economic justice.

The conference comes at a time when questions surrounding workers’ purchasing power, workplace protections, social security and the broader cost of living remain important issues in national discourse. The gathering is expected to provide an opportunity for labour representatives and other stakeholders to exchange views on policies and practical measures that could improve workers’ welfare and strengthen the protection of their rights.

Participants are also expected to examine the relationship between political transition and labour interests, particularly the need to ensure that workers’ concerns are adequately represented in public policy discussions. The theme calls attention to the importance of transparency, accountability and inclusive engagement in shaping decisions that affect employees and their families.

For LAWAN, the conference will provide an avenue to bring labour stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss the future of work and the pursuit of economic justice in Nigeria. By placing workers at the centre of its deliberations, the association hopes to encourage sustained engagement on the protection of labour rights, improved welfare and the role of institutions in promoting social security.