Organised Labour on Thursday delivered an unflattering assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s two years in office, saying his reforms and policies brought nothing but pain and suffering to Nigerians.

The labour movement countered Tinubu’s claims that the worst days are over, pointing out that his economic reforms have plunged over 150 million Nigerians into multidimensional poverty.

In a statement, the Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero, submitted that far from renewing hope, his government has merely recycled the same failed neoliberal experiments of the past.

However, the All Progressives Congress pushed back against Tinubu’s critics, accusing the NLC of misrepresenting the reality.

Responding to the criticisms against the President, the APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, said the NLC’s evaluation lacked depth and objectivity.

“Their statement was sponsored. The NLC failed to engage with the real issues and instead chose to grandstand,” Arodiogbu said.

“It’s disappointing to see a professional body making comments that sound more like what you’d hear in a marketplace. They ought to consult economists and policy experts before making such superficial remarks,” he added.

Speaking on Tinubu’s midterm record, Arodiogbu commended the President’s performance.

In a national broadcast to commemorate his second anniversary on Thursday, Tinubu touted the benefits of his reforms, saying, “We are on course to building a greater, more economically stable nation.”

He stated that his administration is on course to making life better for Nigerians.

Tinubu acknowledged the pains his reforms have unleashed, adding that he does not take the patience of citizens for granted.

“Today, I proudly affirm that our economic reforms are working. We are on course to building a greater, more economically stable nation. Under our Renewed Hope Agenda, our administration pledged to tackle economic instability, improve security nationwide, reduce corruption, reform governance, and lift our people out of poverty.’’

But Ajaero dismissed Tinubu’s assertions, stating that the government’s failure to move the nation forward had only proved once again that ‘’you cannot cure a patient by prescribing the poison that made him sick in the first place.’’

He said, ‘’When President Bola Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023, he promised a new dawn—bold economic reforms that would rescue Nigeria from fiscal instability and set it on a path to prosperity.

“But two years later, the only thing bolder than his rhetoric is the magnitude of suffering and hardship his policies have inflicted on workers and ordinary Nigerians.

“Far from renewing hope, his administration has recycled the same failed neoliberal experiments of the past, proving once again that you cannot cure a patient by prescribing the poison that made them sick in the first place.’’

The labour leader recalled how the sudden removal of the petrol subsidy sent shockwaves through an already fragile economy, causing fuel prices to skyrocket from N187 to over N600 per litre overnight.

Tinubu did not mention in his speech how much the country has saved from fuel subsidy removal, but he did indicate that net external reserves grew from $4 billion in 2023 to over $23 billion by the end of 2024.

While the government argued the move would free up public funds for development and reduce economic distortions, the NLC noted that Nigerians have seen no visible gains, only skyrocketing costs, business closures, and growing hunger.

“Instead of reinvestment, Nigerians got inflation so vicious that families now skip meals, businesses shutter daily, and transport costs consume the little that remains of workers’ wages,” the congress said.

The second pillar of Tinubu’s reforms, the unification of Nigeria’s multiple exchange rates, sought to enhance transparency and attract foreign investment. But the NLC said the policy has had a devastating impact on local production and consumer prices.

Ajaero stated that it only accelerated the naira’s collapse and imported inflation into the domestic economy, making everyday goods unaffordable.

“The naira, left to the so-called ‘market forces,’ has collapsed in value, turning Nigeria into a bargain basement for neighbouring countries while local industries suffocate under the weight of imported inflation,” Ajaero said.

What makes this pain even more frustrating, Ajaero observed, is that none of it is new, recalling the bitter pill and pains of past policies rammed down the nation’s throat by the International Monetary Fund.

He queried, ‘’We have seen this script before—subsidy removals, devaluations, and IMF-approved austerity—each time sold as the bitter pill Nigeria must swallow for a brighter future. But when has it ever worked?

“The same policies under past administrations only widened inequality, enriched a few, and left the majority poorer. Tinubu’s version is no different, except the suffering is deeper, the anger louder, and the government’s response more brutal.’’

He referenced the hyperinflation in the country, which he said had obliterated the workers’ wages.

Despite the optimism conveyed in the presidential broadcast, the NLC insists that macroeconomic statistics are cold comfort for citizens struggling to survive daily.

The union noted that economic performance is measured by how people feel, not by PowerPoint slides and selective data. “If this government truly wants to renew hope, it must abandon these cruel experiments and put Nigerians, not foreign creditors, at the centre of its policies.”

The Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Chris Onyeka, told The PUNCH that the economic reforms seem like a deliberate imposition of pain on the poor in the service of foreign financial institutions and local elites.

“None of these policies are new. We have seen them under previous administrations. Each time sold as the bitter pill for a better tomorrow. But when has it ever worked?”

Tinubu introduced several policies to alleviate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, such as the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas program to reduce dependence on petrol, lower transportation costs, and provide cleaner energy alternatives, helping to mitigate the impact of higher fuel prices.

The government implemented palliative measures such as direct cash transfers and food distribution programs aimed at cushioning vulnerable Nigerians from the immediate inflationary pressures caused by the sharp rise in fuel prices.

The union acknowledged the CNG intervention but described it as grossly inadequate given the scale of infrastructural deficits and transportation chaos.

“The only thing we single out is the provision of CNG buses for the use of Nigerian workers across the nation by the federal government to ease transportation, which remains inadequate and hampered by serious gas infrastructural deficits,” it said.

Beyond economic grievances, the NLC also decried what it called the Federal Government’s increasing hostility toward organised labour.

It cited unpaid wage awards, intimidation of labour leaders, the criminalisation of protests, and a consistent disregard for court rulings as examples of the administration’s authoritarian tendencies.

“For Nigerian workers, it has been two years of brutality, suppression, and broken promises,” Ajaero lamented.

The NLC also highlighted growing insecurity across the country as a critical concern, questioning the logic of discussing economic reforms when citizens face widespread kidnappings, insurgency, and banditry.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Council,  Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Gbenga Ekundayo, also faulted the fuel subsidy removal and called for a shift toward a production-driven economy.

“Transportation remains central to our economic structure, and removing fuel subsidies was a direct hit,” Ekundayo told The PUNCH.

The chairman said that, as an import-dependent country, higher fuel costs immediately affect the prices of goods and services, which affects the average Nigerian.

He argued that years of neglect of domestic production capacity have left the country vulnerable to global supply shocks and inflation, exacerbated by policy decisions that increase costs without compensatory measures.

“We’ve focused too much on subsidising consumption,” he said. “What we need is to subsidise production and support manufacturing, agriculture, and local industries so that we can bring down the cost of goods and build resilience into the economy.”

Ekundayo also criticised the inconsistency between the government’s rhetoric on austerity and its spending patterns, describing the disparity as damaging to public morale.

“Government is telling citizens to tighten their belts, but the political class is not doing the same,” he said. “There’s a glaring disconnect, and people are beginning to question whether the burden of reform is being fairly shared.”

However, he commended ongoing infrastructure projects, particularly road construction, saying they have the potential to stimulate job creation and improve the movement of goods and services.

“The construction works across different regions are a step in the right direction,” he said. “They can open up economic corridors and enhance trade. But the government must be transparent about the costs involved so that people can understand and own these projects.”

Ekundayo further stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s research and development capacity by forging stronger links between academic institutions and the real sector.

The NLC Chairman in Kwara State, Saheed Olayinka, said the worst is not yet over, arguing that the government has yet to tackle the real challenge facing the country.

“The government has not yet solved the economic problem facing the people. It is still chasing the shadows. The people cannot afford three square meals, the insecurity is not yet solved, and the gap between the naira and dollar is widening.’’

Similarly, the TUC Chairman in Bauchi State, Sabiu Barau, admonished the President to face the reality on the ground, noting that the cost of living is still very high.

‘’The masses are still suffering. Farmers in most places cannot go to the farm for fear of being attacked or kidnapped. There is no power supply. There are a lot of issues as far as I am concerned.”

He maintained that workers in the country are struggling to survive, noting that “The N70,000 new minimum wage is not enough.

“Most importantly, the aspect of the consequential adjustment is provocative. It may interest you to know that some workers got less than a N10,000 increase.”

Sunny James, the Akwa Ibom NLC Chairman, challenged Tinubu to show the practical evidence of what he has been able to do for Nigerians in the last two years.

“It’s not the issue of rhetoric; what is important and what Nigerians and workers are expecting is practical evidence. We want people who can walk the talk.

‘’If he says the worst days are over,  is it in the area of employment? Is it in the area of security when our roads are still not safe and people cannot sleep with their eyes closed? Nigerians can no longer tolerate promises; what we want is practical evidence,” he demanded.

The Benue State TUC Chairman, Gideon Akaa, described as laughable Tinubu’s submission that ‘’Nigeria’s worst days are over.’’

“Have the exchange rates dropped? Has inflation gone down? Have the prices of consumables in the market dropped? What about the electricity tariff? I think these are the indices to measure our standard.

“You say you increased salary, but can N70,000 feed a family of four in a month?  You cannot travel without your heart in your mouth because of kidnappers. Insecurity is on the rise every day, and you are saying the worst is over. Well, I’m yet to see that,” Akaa said.

Also, the labour leaders in Jigawa and Kaduna disagreed with the President’s optimism, stressing that the situation does not support his claim.

Sunusi Maigatari, the NLC Chairman in Jigawa State, noted, “We cannot agree with the President’s claim when the reality on the ground is that Nigerians are still grappling with hunger and hardship. The removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira have led to unprecedented inflation, making it difficult for ordinary Nigerians to make ends meet. The President’s claim that the worst days are over is far from the truth.”

He expressed concern about the suffering of citizens, particularly workers and the poor.

The Kaduna State Chairman of the NLC, Suleiman Ayuba, expressed scepticism over the Nigerian leader’s promise, adding that his administration has not done enough to address poverty in the country.

“We want to see action and not statements,” Ayuba said. ‘’He has been saying that even during the electioneering. They said they would bring all the goodies, and up till now we are still waiting.”

Ayuba questioned the President’s sincerity, asking if he meant to say that Nigeria’s worst days are over in the past two years or the next two years.

Furthermore, the Bayelsa State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Laye Julius, and the Imo State NLC Chairman, Chigaemezu Nwigwe, dismissed Tinubu’s promises as a political statement.

Julius argued that with the level of insecurity, poor electricity supply, lack of employment for youths, exchange rate and continued borrowing, the country was worse off.

 “You are seeing that the security challenge in the North has not abated. In the past few months, we have lost several soldiers.

“And when you come to Benue State, Nigerians are being killed daily, and the President is saying the worst days are over?’’

Nwigwe said there was nothing to reflect the claim, even as he said the minimum wage implementation by the Federal Government was poor.

Murtala Usman, the NLC boss in Kebbi State, advised the President to review the minimum wage.

His TUC counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Alkali, equally asked the President to improve the workers’ welfare.

Reacting to Tinubu’s statement, the NLC leader in Plateau State, Eugene Mangji, said,  “I don’t know the indices he used to measure the situation in the country which led him to arrive at that conclusion.”

Mangji noted that the NLC has yet to experience the positive impact of the government’s policies.

The NLC chairman highlighted the stark contrast between the struggles of ordinary Nigerians and the seeming prosperity of some individuals, saying, “As we are crying, some people are building houses. The government is confiscating over 700 buildings at a time people are crying that they don’t have money.”

APC kicks

Countering NLC, the APC National Vice Chairman, Arodiogbu, insisted that Tinubu has performed creditably

“President Tinubu has a solid track record. I’ve reviewed his achievements personally, and I believe he deserves credit. People rarely praise an administration while it’s still in office; it’s usually after it’s gone that the true impact is recognised.”

He further noted that Tinubu was not pursuing populist policies, but rather making tough, necessary decisions for the country’s future.

“He has been transparent with Nigerians about the challenges we face and the sacrifices required for a better tomorrow. That’s what sets him apart from the opposition.”