NLC President, Comrade Ajaero frowns at poor condition of service of most journalists in the country.

By Afolabi Oyekunle.

President Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero has frowned at the poor condition of service of many media practitioners in the country, noting that many are overworked, underpaid and without suitable condition of service.

The NLC President said this In Lagos  in his address at the 2026 Conference of the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) with the Theme: Workers At The Center Of Nigeria's Political Transition: Defending Rights, Advancing Welfare And Building Economic Justice.

Comrade Joe Ajaero at the centre.

According to him,  the welfare of media workers is an important issue that deserves greater attention in Nigeria. "Where journalists are inadequately remunerated and their working conditions are unfavourable, deliberate efforts must be made to address the situation."

He queried the minimum wage for media workers across the country? 

"What collective bargaining agreements exist between journalists and their employers? We have organisations representing newspaper proprietors and other media employers, but are they actively engaging in negotiations with workers? What roles are the various professional associations and the Guild of Editors playing in ensuring that media workers enjoy better conditions of service"

He therefore called on the Nigeria Union of Journalists,  (NUJ) to be actively involved in negotiating better welfare packages for her members.

"Anybody who tells you that journalists are exclusively professionals and therefore do not need trade union representation is not telling you the truth. Even medical doctors have registered their organisations as trade unions. The NUJ is already registered as a trade union, so why is it not more actively involved in negotiations concerning journalists’ welfare?

"You can operate as a professional association because of the nature of your profession, but you must also be concerned about the welfare of your members. Any professional association whose membership comprises almost 80 per cent employed persons must take an interest in their working conditions."

Unlike some professionals who can establish private practices, such as lawyers who open chambers or doctors who operate private clinics, most journalists depend on employment in media organisations to earn a living. I would say that about 90 per cent of journalists work for other people. 

2. Transportation, Housing and Social Security for Journalists

"Transportation has become a major challenge for workers, including journalists. The rising cost of transportation makes it increasingly difficult for media professionals to move from one location to another in the course of carrying out their duties.

When fuel is unavailable or affordable transportation is difficult to access, journalists spend more money executing their assignments. These are some of the realities that must be considered when discussing workers’ welfare."

Comrade Ajaero assured that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is committed to supporting workers as they navigate the harsh economic situation. Workers can only perform their duties effectively when they are able to meet their basic needs.

"Journalists should also be able to own houses. I was part of the NUJ leadership when the idea of establishing a journalists’ village was pursued. Journalists made considerable efforts towards achieving that objective, and I believe the initiative should be revisited."

"Why can’t journalists partner with mortgage institutions to establish a housing scheme through which they can acquire houses and pay gradually? I doubt whether the average journalist earns enough to purchase land, build a house or buy an existing property outright."

"Job security is another major concern. It is difficult to find journalists who have spent 35 years working in the same media organisation. Many move from one media house to another because of poor conditions of service and the absence of job security.

The pension system also depends largely on the salaries workers earn during their employment. If your salary is low, your pension contributions will also be low. A worker earning a small salary cannot reasonably expect to accumulate substantial pension savings.

There is also the challenge of employment insecurity. Many journalists do not have the assurance that they will remain in their jobs long enough to enjoy the benefits of retirement."

Speaking on NLC demands for a new minimum wage, He said:

 "We will not simply make demands for millions or billions without considering the economic realities.

We must examine inflation, the value of the naira and other factors affecting workers’ purchasing power.

The new minimum wage should be informed by the cost-of-living index and prevailing inflationary trends.

If the government agrees that wages should be indexed to the cost of living, adjustments must reflect the actual economic realities facing workers.

For instance, we must consider the cost of accommodation, transportation, food and other basic necessities before arriving at a figure."

It should not simply be a matter of proposing ₦50,000 or ₦100,000 without establishing what those amounts can actually purchase.

This is important because workers have repeatedly experienced situations where a new salary is approved, only for its purchasing power to diminish within a few months because of inflation.

We must avoid a situation where workers receive a new minimum wage but return to demanding another increase shortly afterwards because the amount can no longer meet their basic needs.

Speaking on Transportation as it affects workers, He  has this to say:

Government Must Address the Transportation Crisis,

"Transportation was also an important issue during the previous minimum wage negotiations.

During those discussions, we insisted that the government should not concentrate solely on the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), but should also develop alternative transportation arrangements, including Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered vehicles and electric vehicles.

Unfortunately, that commitment has not been adequately realised.

"Although some CNG buses were distributed to organised labour, we need to know how effective those buses have been and whether they are serving their intended purpose.

The government must take a definite position on addressing the transportation challenges confronting Nigerian workers.

Providing workers with an additional ₦70,000 for six months is not enough to solve the problem, although it offers some relief.

For someone who previously earned ₦70,000, receiving an additional ₦70,000 provides temporary relief. However, that does not mean the underlying economic challenges have been resolved.

You cannot give workers ₦70,000 as relief for six months and expect them to return to poverty when the period expires."

As far as we are concerned, the additional ₦70,000 has become part of the earnings against which workers’ future wage negotiations must be considered. We cannot pretend that workers have not experienced that level of income and then return to the previous position when negotiating a new minimum wage.

We must build on existing realities and ensure that the next minimum wage reflects the actual cost of living.

Speaking on the cost of fuel, Comrade Ajaero said:

At a time when international crude oil prices are reportedly above the benchmark used in preparing the national budget, Nigerians deserve explanations about how the additional revenue is being managed.

If the budget was based on an oil benchmark of about $65 to $70 per barrel, and crude oil is selling at approximately $110 or more, what is happening to the additional revenue?

Why should Nigeria continue to borrow when the country may be earning more from crude oil exports than the amount projected in the budget?

Who are we borrowing from, and what is happening to the additional revenue generated from our natural resources?

These are important questions that the government must answer, he said.

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