By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The African labour movement has issued a stark warning that Nigeria and other countries across the continent risk a deepening poverty and inequality crisis unless governments urgently reverse decades of underinvestment in public services and improve the welfare of public sector workers.

In a statement marking the 2026 United Nations Public Service Day,
ITUC-Africa General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, paid tribute to millions of public service workers whose contributions sustain economies and communities across the continent.
ITUC-Africa said public services across Africa are approaching a critical breaking point due to chronic underfunding, poor working conditions, wage theft, corruption, and anti-worker policies.
The organisation warned that the continent’s development aspirations could be severely undermined if governments fail to prioritise quality public services and decent work.
“Poverty and inequality in Africa cannot be reversed and defeated while public services remain underfunded and public workers are left behind.
“Today, we honour the dedication, professionalism, and sacrifice of millions of public service workers who keep our societies functioning every day,” Odigie said.
He noted that nurses, teachers, sanitation workers, social workers, agricultural extension officers and civil servants provide services that are essential to economic growth, social stability and human dignity.
According to him, despite their invaluable role, public workers across Africa continue to endure difficult conditions.
“Far too many public service workers across Africa continue to face low wages, delayed salaries, understaffing, poor working conditions, and restrictions on their fundamental labour rights,” he said.
The labour leader lamented that governments often view public workers as financial liabilities rather than national assets.
“Too often, they are treated as a cost to be reduced rather than a public asset to be valued and strengthened,” the statement said.
ITUC-Africa argued that public services should not be seen as a drain on government resources but as a strategic investment capable of reducing poverty and inequality.
“Public services are not a burden on national budgets. They are a vital investment in people and in the future of our societies, critical for tackling poverty and inequality,” the organisation stressed.
It further stated that accessible and accountable public services are indispensable to equitable development and social justice.
“Accessible, quality, and democratically accountable public services are essential for achieving equitable development, social justice, good governance, and social cohesion,” the statement noted.
The organisation warned that the achievement of global development targets would remain elusive without a motivated and adequately compensated workforce.
“There can be no meaningful progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals without a motivated, adequately staffed, and remunerated public sector workforce,” it said.
The labour body urged African governments, including Nigeria’s, to recommit themselves to effective public service financing and to take decisive action against illicit financial flows, corruption and excessive debt burdens.
Among its key demands, ITUC-Africa called on governments to halt illicit financial flows, reduce debt-servicing pressures and punish corruption.
The organisation also demanded stronger protection for workers’ rights, insisting that public employees must be free to organise and negotiate without intimidation.
“Public sector workers must be free to organise, join unions, and negotiate their terms and conditions of employment without fear of repression, intimidation, or exclusion,” it stated.
The statement also highlighted the persistent challenge of salary arrears affecting public workers in several African countries.
“In too many countries, public servants continue to go months, and sometimes years, without receiving their salaries,” ITUC-Africa said.
It described the practice as both unjust and damaging to public institutions.
“Such practices violate workers’ dignity, undermine public institutions, and weaken service delivery,” the organisation warned.
The labour federation further criticised policies promoting privatisation, arguing that they have weakened citizens’ access to critical services.
“Decades of structural adjustment and market-driven reforms have eroded access to quality health care, education, water, and other essential services,” the statement said.
On gender equality, ITUC-Africa observed that women constitute a significant portion of Africa’s public workforce but remain disproportionately represented in low-paying and insecure jobs.
The organisation called for equal pay, safer workplaces and stronger protections against workplace harassment and violence.
“Equal pay for work of equal value, decent working conditions, and the elimination of all forms of violence and harassment at work must become a reality for all workers,” it said.
As Africa grapples with rising living costs, unemployment and widening inequality, the organisation concluded with a call for renewed investment in public institutions and human development.
“Sustainable development requires sustained investment, and investing in people is the most effective way for any society to invest,” Odigie stated.
The labour movement urged governments across the continent to place quality public services at the centre of national development strategies, warning that failure to do so could worsen poverty, deepen inequality and weaken social cohesion in the years ahead.
“As we celebrate United Nations Public Service Day, let us recommit ourselves to building strong public institutions, protecting workers’ rights, and ensuring that quality public services remain at the heart of Africa’s development agenda,” the statement concluded.