President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has accused the Nigerian government of deploying arrests, surveillance, intimidation and other coercive tactics in an attempt to suppress organised labour and silence workers’ demands for improved welfare and economic justice.
Ajaero made the allegations on Thursday in Oslo, Norway, while receiving the 2026 Arthur Svensson International Award, one of the most prestigious honours in the global labour movement.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ajaero said the struggles of Nigerian workers had come under sustained pressure, alleging that labour leaders had been targeted for simply demanding fair wages and better working conditions.
“In Nigeria today, to defend a living wage is to become a target of the state,” he said, insisting that workers were being treated as adversaries for demanding economic dignity in a country rich in natural resources.
The NLC president also gave a personal account of what he described as years of persecution, including repeated arrests, interrogations, surveillance, and allegations ranging from cybercrime to terrorism financing and treasonable felony.
He dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, stating that his only “offence” was leading workers’ agitation for improved conditions of service.
“I have been dragged before state agencies for questioning on trumped-up charges; charges of terrorism financing, cybercrime, criminal conspiracy, subversion and treasonable felony,” he said.
Ajaero further alleged that he had been subjected to physical intimidation, including detention and interrogation, and that he had been prevented from travelling abroad to attend labour-related engagements. He also claimed that security operatives had repeatedly placed him under surveillance.
He recounted incidents of alleged attacks on labour institutions, including the reported raid on the NLC national secretariat by security personnel on August 7, 2024, which he said forced staff members to evacuate the premises.
“Our picket lines have been broken by security forces armed to the teeth. Our offices were raided… and a detachment of security personnel occupied our national secretariat,” he said.
Ajaero also alleged that his Lagos residence was destroyed by fire under suspicious circumstances and that he had been continuously monitored physically and electronically by unidentified persons.
Despite the alleged intimidation, the labour leader said the NLC and its affiliates would not abandon their struggle for workers’ rights and economic justice.
“They have the jails, the guns and the instruments of fear. However, we have the power; the power to stop the world because we move the world,” he said.
He maintained that organised labour remained resilient, stressing that every attempt to silence workers only strengthened their resolve.
“Every time they silence one voice, ten thousand rise. Every time they tear down a picket line, two more appear,” he added.
Ajaero dedicated the international award to Nigerian workers, describing it as recognition of their collective struggle rather than a personal honour.
The Arthur Svensson International Award is presented annually to individuals or organisations that have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of trade union rights globally.
