President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare, social justice and constructive engagement with organised labour, as Nigeria marked the 20th posthumous anniversary of foremost labour leader, Pa Michael Omiunu Imoudu.
The President’s message was delivered at the weekend in Lagos by the Minister of Labour and Employment , Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, at a ceremony attended by labour leaders, government officials and representatives of several state governments.
Tinubu said his absence was due to “personal and national engagements,” but described the occasion as a moment of national reflection.
“Michael Imoudu was not just a labour leader; he was the conscience of the working class, a fearless voice for the oppressed and a patriot whose sacrifices laid a strong foundation for the labour movement in Nigeria,” the President said.
He described Imoudu as an enduring symbol of workers’ rights, social justice, equity and national unity.
Tinubu noted that Imoudu’s courage and resilience, even in the face of detention and intimidation during the colonial era, remain instructive for contemporary Nigeria.
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“His life reminds us that progress is often born out of sacrifice, and that meaningful nation-building requires courage, dialogue and collective action,” he said.
According to the President, the Federal Government, under its Renewed Hope Agenda, is committed to policies that promote decent work, job creation, skills development, social protection and fair labour practices.
“Workers are not just factors of production; they are partners in progress. Constructive engagement with organised labour remains a cornerstone of our industrial relations framework,” he added.
Speaking at the event, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, said the struggles faced by workers today echo those confronted by Imoudu decades ago.
“The beatings, the abductions, the state violence—we have seen them before. But we refuse to be cowed. The fear we see is fear of our united power,” he said.
Ajaero urged workers and trade unions to draw renewed strength from Imoudu’s legacy. “Let this anniversary be a reactivation—of his militancy in wage bargaining, his political clarity in educating workers about the roots of their suffering, and his unbending solidarity with students, farmers, the unemployed and all the oppressed,” he said.
He added that honouring Imoudu goes beyond physical monuments.
“We do not build monuments of stone for a man; we build movements of people.
We honour him by becoming the movement,” Ajaero said.
The NLC president also said recent nationwide protests reflected Imoudu’s approach to struggle, noting that organised labour would intensify its push for a living wage, economic justice and accountability.
Legal practitioner and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, used the occasion to raise governance and rule-of-law concerns, urging the Federal Government to fully implement the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
Falana said, “What the Supreme Court ordered last year is that the statutory allocations of local government be paid directly to each of the local governments.” He called on the President to direct the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to commence direct disbursement to the 774 local government accounts.
The event was attended by labour leaders from across the country, as well as representatives of the Lagos State Government and officials from Katsina, Enugu, Abia and Jigawa states.
