May Day: FOSAD demands better pay, lower living costs

The Forum of South-East Academic Doctors (FOSAD) has called for the urgent prioritisation of workers’ welfare in Nigeria, warning that rising living costs, poor wages and worsening economic conditions are pushing workers deeper into hardship.

In a statement marking this year’s International Workers’ Day, FOSAD joined millions of Nigerians and the global community in celebrating workers’ contributions to national development, while expressing grave concern over the deteriorating conditions facing workers across all sectors.

The group said Nigerian workers have, for years, endured poor remuneration, rising inflation and inconsistent economic policies that have significantly weakened their purchasing power.

According to FOSAD, the current realities confronting workers are the result of prolonged governance failures and policy inconsistencies that have left many struggling to survive.

“Today, the average Nigerian worker is trapped in a cycle of hardship,” the group said. “With high unemployment and limited economic opportunities, even those who are employed survive on meagre salaries that are grossly inadequate in the face of a severely devalued naira.”

FOSAD lamented that the soaring cost of necessities, including food, housing, transportation and healthcare, has placed enormous pressure on workers and their families.

The organisation further criticised what it described as an economic structure that perpetuates systemic poverty among workers, noting that the promise of democracy has failed to deliver shared prosperity for the majority of citizens.

It argued that while political office holders continue to accumulate wealth, ordinary workers are sinking deeper into poverty.

FOSAD also raised alarm over the increasing migration of skilled professionals, particularly in the health and academic sectors, who are leaving Nigeria in search of better opportunities abroad.

According to the group, this growing brain drain reflects worsening working conditions and poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s long-term development.

“A nation that cannot retain its intellectual and professional workforce risks stagnation,” the statement noted.

FOSAD described it as deeply troubling that even highly educated professionals, including university lecturers, now struggle to afford basic assets such as personal vehicles, saying this highlights the scale of the country’s economic distress.

The forum therefore urged governments at the federal, state and local levels to take immediate and decisive action to improve workers’ welfare through fair wage structures, economic stabilisation, inflation control and people-centred policies.

It also called on Nigerian workers to become more actively involved in demanding accountability and advocating for their rights.

“Meaningful and sustainable change will require collective action and a strong commitment to challenging the systems that have entrenched inequality and hardship,” the group stated.

FOSAD reaffirmed its solidarity with Nigerian workers, commending their resilience and dedication despite prevailing economic difficulties.

“Your resilience and dedication remain the backbone of the nation. Your labour must not be in vain.”

The statement was signed by Dr Stephen Nwala, President of FOSAD, and Dr Uzor Ngoladi, Secretary-General.