Workers’ Day 2025: A Celebration in Pain as Civil Servants Cry for Reform

As Nigeria marks Workers’ Day 2025, many civil servants across the country are observing the day not with joy, but with silent frustration, hunger, and hopelessness. For a workforce widely considered the backbone of the nation’s progress, the reality on the ground paints a grim picture — one defined by debt, neglect, and systemic exploitation.

Most workers, particularly in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), are financially enslaved by persistent loan repayments, which have turned their monthly salaries into mere shadows of actual earnings. The situation is further compounded by the administrative attitude in many MDAs where heads of units treat public offices as private enterprises. Resources meant for staff welfare are diverted, and opportunities for growth are blocked — often out of fear that talented subordinates could outshine their superiors.