Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that Nigeria’s organised labour movement was, at a critical point in its history, funded by foreign intelligence agencies — a development he said undermined national sovereignty and exposed the country’s labour system to external manipulation.
Obasanjo made the revelation at the 85th birthday celebration and public presentation of the memoir of a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Hassan Sunmonu, titled Memoirs of an African Trade Union Icon: Organise, Don’t Agonise. The event, attended by labour leaders, policymakers and civil society actors, evolved into a broader reflection on the evolution, challenges and future of trade unionism in Nigeria.
Cold War Politics and Nigeria’s Labour Space
According to Obasanjo, Nigeria’s labour environment during the Cold War era was dominated by two major labour organisations which, though Nigerian in name, were allegedly financed and influenced by rival global power blocs.
He disclosed that one faction received funding from the Soviet Union’s KGB, while the other was backed by the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), describing the arrangement as “unhealthy and dangerous” for an independent nation.
“As far as you remember, when Goodluck was leading one of the two major labour [groups] then Adebola, these two labour organisations are Nigerian labour organisations but they were not organised or funded by Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
“One was being financed by KGB… and the other one was being financed by CIA. That was the truth.”
Akahi News gathered that Obasanjo said this reality shaped his resolve, as military Head of State, to initiate sweeping labour reforms aimed at insulating Nigeria’s trade unions from foreign interference.
Labour Reforms and the Birth of the NLC
The former president explained that his objective was to establish a labour movement that was “organised by Nigerians, controlled by Nigerians and financed by Nigerians.” He recalled that the reform process was led by Justice Adebiyi and initially met with resistance from labour leaders, including Sunmonu himself.
“Hassan was one of those who was forefront to ask, what do I know about labour that I’m asking for reform? What is my business?” Obasanjo recounted.
Despite the initial pushback, Obasanjo said the reforms eventually restructured trade unions and led to the enactment of laws that birthed the Nigeria Labour Congress as a unified national platform. He stressed that the emergence of NLC leadership was achieved without direct government interference.
“When Justice Adebiyi finished his job and we reformed the labour and party law establishing NLC, what happened? Without government’s hand, they elected their leader and Hassan became the first leader,” he said, adding that the moment gave him a sense of comfort and reassurance.
Funding Independence and Labour Credibility
Obasanjo further noted that the introduction of a compulsory check-off system ensured sustainable union funding and permanently eliminated foreign financial influence from Nigeria’s labour movement. He argued that while government and labour were bound to interact, such engagement must not compromise labour’s independence or credibility.
Reflecting on his relationship with Sunmonu, Obasanjo said he once advised the former NLC leader to openly criticise government policies after private consultations, in order to preserve the trust of workers and the public.
Sunmonu, who led the NLC from 1978 to 1984, is widely regarded as one of the architects of modern trade unionism in Nigeria. Obasanjo praised him for elevating Nigerian labour on the continental and global stage, describing him as the most influential figure in the labour movement after the late Pa Michael Imoudu.
Ajaero Slams Current Economic Policies
The event also provided a platform for the current NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, to deliver a scathing critique of contemporary economic policies, new tax laws and Nigeria’s rising public debt.
Ajaero warned that the systematic exclusion of labour from key policy processes was deepening poverty and undermining democratic governance. He accused the government of preferring “enrage over engage,” noting that the philosophy of Organise, Don’t Agonise stood in sharp contrast to present realities.
“Tax laws that tax the national minimum wage, impose heavier burdens on workers and the poor, and worsen excruciating poverty are not progressive but regressive,” Ajaero said.
He alleged that labour was deliberately excluded from the Presidential Committee on Tax, insisting that workers were sidelined because they were “meant to be on the menu.”
Debt, Governance and Democratic Trust
Raising broader concerns, the NLC president echoed Sunmonu’s recent public interrogation of Nigeria’s growing debt profile, questioning transparency and accountability.
“Where are all the monies being borrowed by the federal government?” Ajaero asked, warning that bypassing stakeholders, distorting Acts of Parliament and ruling “by strong arm” eroded public trust and threatened national stability.
He stressed that the central message of Organise, Don’t Agonise imposed a responsibility on the state to engage citizens sincerely rather than provoke frustration and social unrest.
“To sideline the organised voice of labour is to design policies on shaky, exclusionary foundations, destined to generate crisis and agony,” he warned.
Ajaero also demanded the immediate constitution of the PENCOM board and urged restraint and clarity in the implementation of the new tax laws, cautioning that the current trajectory was dangerous for tax administration and democracy.
A Moment of National Reckoning
While celebrating Sunmonu as a symbol of courage, integrity and principled engagement, Ajaero said the event had transcended personal honour and become a moment of national reckoning on the condition of Nigerian workers.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently address workers’ wages ahead of the next statutory minimum wage negotiation and to embrace a decisive shift toward inclusive governance.
“Comrade Sunmonu, as we launch your book today, we pledge to keep its central message alive,” he said. “We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power.”
Efforts to obtain official government reactions to the concerns raised were unsuccessful as of press time.
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