Heavy Taxes, Low Pay, Rising Debt Endanger Nigeria’s Stability — NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has cautioned that the combined impact of heavy taxation, poor wages and rising national debt poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s economic and democratic stability.

As a result, the labour centre urged the Federal Government to urgently reconsider the new tax laws and re-engage organised labour in policymaking.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, issued the warning during the book launch and 85th birthday celebration of the founding President of the NLC, Hassan Summonu. He accused the government of sidelining workers and the poor in major policy decisions that directly affect their lives.

“Today, we honour a titan of the working-class struggle, a man whose life and work are captured in the defiant title of his book: ‘Organise, Don’t Agonise.’ This is not just a title; it is the militant creed that has defined Summonu’s journey and the very soul of our movement,” Ajaero said.

“From the shop floors and factories to the corridors of pan-African power, he taught us that the power of the people, when organised, is the ultimate answer to agony imposed by exploitation and poor governance.”

Reflecting on the state of the nation, Ajaero noted: “This event transcends a personal celebration. It is a moment of reflection on the state of our nation and the condition of the working people whose sweat builds it. Summonu’s memoirs challenge us to ask: how far have we come in realising the dreams of economic democracy for which he fought?”

Raising concerns about public finance, he added: “That is why the question Comrade Summonu publicly posed a few days ago resonates: Where are all the monies being borrowed by the federal government?”

According to him, the philosophy of “Organise, Don’t Agonise” places a responsibility on government to engage citizens rather than provoke them.

“The state has a duty to engage, not enrage. Policies on fuel pricing, taxation, wages and social services must be crafted with the active and respected input of those who represent the workers and the masses,” he said.

On the newly enacted tax laws, Ajaero argued that workers and ordinary Nigerians were excluded from the process.

“The tax laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and the masses who are the major taxpayers in this country. From the Presidential Committee on Tax, Nigerian workers were deliberately excluded, and we warned the nation of the dangers,” he stated.

“Today, the result is clear — laws with serious alterations directed at making workers and the poor poorer. Tax that taxes the national minimum wage is not fair. Tax that imposes heavy burdens on people living in excruciating poverty is regressive.”

Calling for a policy reset, the NLC president said there was nothing wrong with halting the process to rethink and redirect government actions.

“We do not see anything wrong in pausing along this negative path, rethinking and redirecting,” he said.

He further urged the government to fully constitute the board of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and address widespread concerns over the tax laws, rather than what he described as “grandstanding.”

“Insisting on going ahead amid confusion is like muddling along in darkness. This dangerous pattern undermines tax administration itself and indeed our democracy,” Ajaero warned.

“Your legacy must be in crafting credible laws that strengthen institutions, not undermine them. When you bypass key stakeholders and rule by strong arm, you negate public trust and threaten national stability.”

He concluded by reaffirming the resolve of organised labour: “We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power. We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where no worker has to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy taxation or a stolen future riddled with national debt.”

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