The report was presented in Room 19 of the World Diplomatic Building, where representatives from 187 countries gathered to address global labour issues.
Nigeria has been ranked among the 10 worst countries for workers in 2025 by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in its Global Rights Index, unveiled at the 113th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Other countries joining Nigeria on the list include Bangladesh, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, the Philippines, Tunisia, and Türkiye.
The annual ITUC Global Rights Index evaluates countries based on their adherence to collective labour rights, highlighting violations of internationally recognised labour standards by governments and employers.
The report was presented in Room 19 of the World Diplomatic Building, where representatives from 187 countries gathered to address global labour issues.
The report read, “Africa recorded its second-worst reading on record, deteriorating to 3.95 from 3.88 in 2024. These figures suggest that workers across the region endure systematic violations of their rights.
“The rights to strike, collective bargaining, and to form or join a union were impeded in 90% of countries. Nigeria entered the top 10 worst countries for the first time.
“Most workers, employed in the informal sector, have no labour protection. The rights to strike, to collective bargaining, and to establish or join a trade union are violated in 93% of countries. While fewer countries reported violence against workers, union activists were killed in Cameroon and South Africa.
“Strikes and protests were met with violent suppression in Cameroon, Kenya, Mauritania, and South Africa. Employers sabotaged union activity in Botswana, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, and Senegal.
“In Nigeria, a new entry to the 10 worst countries in the world for working people, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe, trade unionists faced repression for their activities, while authorities in Eswatini, Guinea-Bissau and Zimbabwe banned protests and assembly.
“Military juntas in West Africa, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon and Mali – prevented unions from operating freely. Conflicts in South Sudan and Sudan have left millions in desperate need of aid and severely threatened the livelihoods of workers.”
The report also lamented “escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in and around Goma,” adding that the “conflict has caused immense suffering among civilians and workers”.
This year’s conference is focused on exploring potential new international standards for protecting workers from biological hazards in the workplace, ensuring decent work within the platform economy, and developing innovative strategies to promote transitions from the informal to the formal economy.
The ITUC noted that Nigeria was listed among the world's 10 worst countries for workers for the first time since the index was introduced in 2014.
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