Ajaero Wins Award on Labour Activism
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has been named the 2026 laureate of the Arthur Svensson International Award for his courage and unwavering commitment to the defence of workers’ rights.
A statement signed by the General Secretary of NLC, Comrade Emma Ugboaja, said the recognition marked the first time this distinguished global honour has been conferred upon a trade union leader from Nigeria.
The Arthur Svensson Award, established in memory of the legendary Norwegian trade unionist and internationalist, Arthur Svensson (1938–2003), is presented to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strategic acumen, and unwavering commitment to the defence of workers’ rights, and trade union freedoms across the world.
Comrade Svensson stood against capital’s exploitation and fought for cross-border labour solidarity; values that not only burn fiercely in the heart of every Nigerian worker but resonates with our lived realities.
NLC said that in the face of current realities, the honour conferred on Ajaero was very significant especially in the face of state repression and workplace tyranny.
“It is therefore, not a mere plaque or ribbon. It is a lightning rod of international recognition for the daily, bloody-knuckled battles Nigerian workers wage against state suppression, anti-union vigilantism, and the wholesale commodification of labour.
“From the brutal attacks on striking workers to the casual dismissal of workers in Export Processing Zones without recourse to negotiations; from the use of security forces to break picket lines to the deliberate impoverishment of the working class through anti-people economic policies, our struggles are real, and they are fierce.
“That Comrade Ajaero has been singled out for this honour sends an unmistakable signal; the world is watching.
It added that “Even when our picket lines are tear-gassed, even when union leaders are illegally detained and charges of terrorism financing pressed against them even when our members are sacked for demanding a living wage in the midst of pervasive hunger and hyperinflation; the international labour movement sees us.
“ It validates that the NLC leadership, under Comrade Ajaero, is making serious and tangible impact in its primary constituency and beyond; defending workers, trade union rights, and democratic space against a predatory state and capita”l.
The labour movement said it viewed the award as clarion call to the working class in Nigeria not to be subdued but to be encouraged.
“The NLC leadership accepts this award not as an end, but as an urgent call to intensify the struggle. We will not rest on this achievement.
“We will not be pacified by diplomas or accolades. Instead, we will use this honour to further expose the violations of ILO conventions in Nigeria, to deepen our organising among informal and Platform economy workers, as well as resist every anti-labour law and anti-people policy.
