The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi on Thursday celebrated Nigerian workers on the occasion of Workers Day.
Obi, in his message, said workers have shown their resilience and commitment to national growth despite the harsh economic realities.
The former Anambra governor also decried the level of unemployment in the country putting the fiure at 35 per cent.
He called on the Federal Government to ensure that youths are duly employed to reduce criminal activities and other social vices.
“The struggles and harsh realities facing our dear workers in our nation, presently contending with severe economic and political challenges, are obvious. Despite these very challenging times, our Nigerian workers have continued to show resilience and commitment to the nation’s growth.
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“On this International Workers’ Day, we celebrate the tireless efforts of our Nigerian workers, whose unwavering commitment and immense contributions drive our nation’s growth and development.
“A day like this offers us the opportunity to appreciate every Nigerian worker at different levels of government, across different agencies, private industries and business sectors – your legitimate labours form the energy that propels our nation.
“On this International Worker’s Day, we celebrate the tireless efforts of our Nigerian workers, whose unwavering commitment and immense contributions drive our nation’s growth and development. A day like this offers us the opportunity to appreciate every Nigerian worker.
“Notwithstanding the recent reconfiguration of our economic indices, the reality is that today, Nigeria has an unemployment and under-employment rate of over 35% and a youth unemployment and under-employment rate of over 45%, which is one of the highest globally, fuelling all sorts of criminality and social vices.
“Aggressive investment in the productive population remains the best and fastest route to bridging this shortage of well-trained workers and moving our nation from consumption to production. This, as I have consistently maintained, we can achieve by investing in education, health and fighting poverty through job creation and support for small businesses.
“As a nation, we must create an environment that fosters growth, provides opportunities, and ensures fair compensation. We must recognise the dignity of labour and promote a culture of respect and appreciation for all workers.” Obi stated.
