As Nigerian workers mark the 2025 International Workers’ Day, a Professor of International Law at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Christopher Chukwuma, has called for an urgent review of laws he described as restrictive and criminalising civic engagement in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Pre-May Day Lecture in Abuja, themed “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the Midst of Economic Hardship,” Chukwuma identified key legislations such as the Cybercrime Act, Public Order Act, and certain provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) as inimical to freedom of expression and association in a democracy.
The legal scholar, currently on sabbatical at the University of Jos, raised concerns over the shrinking civic space in Nigeria, warning that increasing restrictions on public protests, threats against human rights defenders, social media controls, and media clampdowns were endangering democratic values.
“The moment there is an increase in marginalization and vulnerability of citizens, the civic space begins to die. We have a problem,” he stated.
According to him, while economic hardship may shift citizens’ focus towards survival, Nigerian workers and their unions must reclaim their space by pushing for reforms that uphold democratic norms and civil liberties.
He urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to champion legislative reforms to repeal or amend laws that stifle civic participation and to advocate for mechanisms that enhance transparency and citizens’ participation, such as town hall meetings and broader stakeholder engagement.
“There is an urgent need to align Nigeria’s civic environment with international human rights standards. This includes protecting civil society operations under CAMA and ensuring that laws do not criminalise legitimate dissent,” Chukwuma said.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress,Joe Ajaero, also voiced strong concerns, warning that Nigeria’s democratic foundations were under threat due to state actions shrinking the civic space.
“The civic space is being compressed. Just recently, protesters in Port Harcourt were stopped by the police. We tried to protest the high cost of living and minimum wage issues and were resisted. Forces are now being used to suppress free expression,” Ajaero lamented.
He described the suppression of peaceful protests as dangerous and counterproductive, noting that many current political leaders benefitted from civic actions in the past.
“Those in power today were not even known during the protests for June 12 or military rule. If the civic space had been closed then, many of them would not be where they are today,” he said.
Ajaero added that while some voices were being sponsored to undermine legitimate concerns, the labour movement would not relent in defending citizens’ rights and promoting justice.
He emphasized that reclaiming the civic space was critical to sustaining Nigeria’s democracy, and vowed that the NLC would continue to “speak truth to power and fight for the rights of all Nigerians.”
