The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has criticized the recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed a dramatic drop in Nigeria’s unemployment rate from 33.3% to 4.1%. The NLC described the report as “highly misleading” and unrepresentative of the lived realities of millions of Nigerians. According to the labour union, the figures fail to align with the persistent challenges of widespread joblessness, poverty, and underemployment in the country.
At the core of the NLC’s discontent is the revised methodology adopted by the NBS, which aligns with the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) standards. The new framework considers individuals as employed if they work for as little as one hour per week. While this definition may meet global statistical benchmarks, the NLC argues that it does not adequately capture the scale of Nigeria’s employment crisis, particularly when factoring in underemployment and the quality of jobs available.
The labour body also emphasized that a reduction in unemployment should correlate with visible improvements in citizens’ livelihoods, such as reduced poverty rates and better access to basic amenities. Instead, many Nigerians continue to grapple with rising inflation, stagnant wages, and limited job opportunities. The NLC accused the government of using the adjusted figures as a propaganda tool to mask the true state of the economy.
Experts and other stakeholders have also expressed concerns about the credibility of the new unemployment data. They argue that while aligning with international standards can enhance global comparability, it must also account for local socioeconomic contexts. Critics highlight that the new methodology risks creating a false sense of progress, thereby undermining the urgency needed to address structural economic challenges.
The NLC further called on the NBS to revisit its approach and provide clearer data that separates unemployment from underemployment. It urged the government to prioritize policies that genuinely address job creation, such as investing in infrastructure, improving the ease of doing business, and supporting local industries. Without such measures, the labour union warned, economic hardship would only deepen.
In response, the NBS defended its methodology, stating that it adopted global best practices to enhance data accuracy and international comparability. The bureau argued that the revised approach does not dismiss the challenges of underemployment but is meant to offer a broader perspective on labour dynamics. However, the debate has reignited discussions on the need for transparency and contextually relevant statistics to guide policymaking in Nigeria.
