By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Stakeholders in the labour sector yesterday raised the alarm that global conflicts and emerging international crises have become major threats to jobs, wages, labour stability and economic growth.

At a one-day collaborative dialogue on “Rising Global Conflicts, Severe Economic Shocks: Impact on Decent Work Agenda; Labour and Civil Society Response,” stakeholders, including academics, administrators, government officials, labour leaders and civil society organisations, CSOs, agreed that all hands must be on deck to restore Nigeria to greatness.

The dialogue was jointly organised by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES.

In his keynote address, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of MINILS, Issa Aremu, said the world was currently witnessing conflicts of varying proportions.

According to him, there are an estimated 130 active armed conflicts globally, while Africa accounts for roughly 40 per cent of them.

“The global media understandably focuses on the four-year-old Russia-Ukraine war and the heightened conflict in the Middle East. However, the African continent accounts for roughly 40 per cent of the world’s armed conflicts,” he said.

Aremu noted that violence across Africa had displaced more than 35 million people, accounting for nearly half of the world’s conflict-displaced population.

“Indeed, Africa remains one of the region’s most affected by armed conflict globally, with hundreds of thousands killed in battle-related violence and millions more dying indirectly from disease and deprivation,” he said.

He further noted that the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, particularly following the escalation around February 28, 2026, had triggered severe global economic shocks.

“The crisis has disrupted maritime energy routes, especially around the Strait of Hormuz, damaged critical infrastructure and heightened global uncertainty. These developments are driving inflation and threatening to push the global economy toward recession in 2026,” he added.

Speaking on the impact on labour and employment, Aremu said violent conflicts, insurgencies and banditry had claimed the lives of many workers across affected regions.

“In areas directly impacted by conflict, workplaces are destroyed, businesses shut down, unemployment rises and workers’ incomes come under severe strain,” he said.

He added that irregular and forced migration had also increased, leading to xenophobic attacks in countries such as South Africa.

“For countries like Nigeria, whose economic stability is closely tied to global oil markets and international trade, these developments pose serious challenges. Rising fuel costs, food insecurity, currency

fluctuations and declining purchasing power all have profound implications for workers, businesses and governance structures,” he said.

Aremu also lamented the impact of global conflicts on the world of work, particularly on decent work, job security and wages.

He urged organised labour to become more proactive in addressing emerging economic and social realities.

“Africa must sit up. We must bring development to the agenda. Peace is eluding the world,” he said.
Aremu further stressed the importance of the Dangote Refinery to Nigeria’s economy, especially at a time when public refineries are not functioning optimally.

“What would have been the fate of Nigeria if we did not have the Dangote Refinery now that public refineries are not working? Now that we have the Dangote Refinery, unions should engage with it to ensure decent work conditions,” he added.

In his remarks, the Resident Representative of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Lennart Ostergaard, said global changes were having serious consequences for workers and the labour movement, lamenting that trade unions appeared unprepared for the emerging realities.

He questioned the role and visibility of organised labour amid global challenges such as the Middle East crisis, artificial intelligence, the global energy crisis, insecurity, widening inequality, job losses and growing job insecurity.

“Where is the voice of labour in all these changes going on globally? We believe the voice of labour is not loud enough,” he said.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, represented by Prof. Femi Otubaji, said globalisation had become a serious challenge to workers in both developed and less industrialised countries.

According to him, the influx of cheaper goods from developed countries was undermining jobs and worsening economic conditions for workers.

“Workers are the collateral victims of global events, with shrinking jobs and wages that can no longer meet basic needs,” he said.