The Labour Writers Association of Nigeria urged Nigeria’s federal government to develop affordable public transport using compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles, BusinessDay reported, as part of wider recommendations on workers’ welfare.
LAWAN said transport allowances should not be treated as substitutes for sustainable solutions. It called on organized labor and the federal government to consult widely before the next national minimum wage review. The association said any pay adjustment should account for inflation, living costs and workers’ declining purchasing power.
BusinessDay said the recommendations appeared in a communique issued after LAWAN’s annual workshop in Lagos on Oct. 30. The event focused on workers’ rights, welfare and economic justice during Nigeria’s political transition. Government officials and labor leaders attended, including Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero and PENGASSAN President Tubosun Olabiyi-Agoro.
On journalists’ welfare, LAWAN urged the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to engage media employers in collective bargaining negotiations on pay, job conditions and benefits. It pointed to low pay, insecure employment, pension shortfalls and difficult workplace conditions. The group also urged media organizations to improve journalists’ access to housing, health care, transport and retirement support, and to restart a housing program with help from mortgage lenders, BusinessDay reported.
The communique also urged the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to overcome their differences and formalize cooperation. LAWAN called for stronger social protections, better support for pensioners and greater transparency in natural-resource management. It also encouraged journalists to cover employment policy, workers’ rights and social security alongside strikes and industrial disputes. The group’s call for wage consultations comes ahead of Nigeria’s next national minimum wage review in April 2027.
