As Nigeria marked the 2025 Workers’ Day, the Archbishop of Calabar and Spiritual Leader of God’s Heritage Global Mission, Archbishop Josef Bassey, issued a passionate call for sweeping reforms to improve the lives of Nigerian workers, whom he described as the “silent strength and survival system of the nation.”
In a statement honoring workers across all sectors, Archbishop Bassey praised their resilience, perseverance, and continued dedication to national development despite what he called “crippling economic hardship and near-impossible living conditions.”
“In a nation where inflation has broken the back of the average worker’s income and the dignity of labor is hanging by a thread, Nigerian workers still rise daily, give their best, and hold this country together. This is not ordinary; it is heroic,” he declared.
The archbishop lamented the harsh economic realities confronting the labor force, emphasizing that many workers can no longer survive, let alone thrive, on their wages alone. He urged governments at all levels, along with employers and policymakers, to implement immediate and meaningful reforms to address the worsening welfare conditions of the nation’s workforce.
“There must be a moral and national awakening. A system where those who build the nation cannot feed their homes is unsustainable, unjust, and dangerous,” Bassey warned.
Despite the bleak conditions, he encouraged workers not to lose hope, charging them to remain committed to excellence and to keep faith in the emergence of a better Nigeria.
“True labour never goes unrewarded by God or by history,” he affirmed, while offering prayers for renewed strength, divine reward, and national transformation.
