By Praise Chinecherem
Valentine Ozigbo, a respected Nigerian business leader and 2025 Anambra governorship hopeful, released a powerful Workers’ Day statement on May 1, 2025, honouring the Nigerian worker and delivering a searing critique of the nation’s governance failures.
In a message that resonated with the tone of a statesman and the urgency of an advocate, Ozigbo elevated the conversation beyond routine labour platitudes, spotlighting the systemic inequalities that plague Nigeria’s workforce.
“Today, on this Workers’ Day, I extend my most profound respect to the soul of our nation — the Nigerian worker,” Ozigbo, a multiple-award-winning Global CEO, wrote.
“From the teacher in Gombe to the nurse in Nnewi, from the market woman in Mile 12 to the tech startup intern in Yaba — you are the ones who carry this country on your backs, even when the system seems rigged against you.”
His statement arrived amid growing unrest in Nigeria’s labour sector following recent protests over wage stagnation, rising inflation, and dangerous working conditions.
The newly adjusted ₦70,000 minimum wage, while a technical improvement, has done little to address the soaring cost of living, according to many worker unions and economic observers.
“We have lived too long in a nation where inflation outpaces income, insecurity chokes productivity, honest labour is punished, and mediocrity is often rewarded,” he added.
“Despite a recent wage adjustment, a ₦70,000 minimum wage still doesn’t put enough food on the table or fuel in the tank. Millions are unemployed, underpaid, or simply unheard.”
Yet, the statement was not all lament. With characteristic optimism, Ozigbo praised the resilience of Nigeria’s working class, calling their perseverance “a quiet form of heroism” and offered a forward-looking roadmap.
“That is why I have long insisted: we must rethink governance, rebuild the broken systems, and redesign our economy around human dignity and productivity,” he said, citing his Ka Anambra Chawapu Manifesto as a bold framework for inclusive progress.
He continued, “We must empower small businesses, modernise our public services, and digitise opportunity. We must protect gig workers, end exploitative labour practices, and bring dignity back to work. And most urgently, we must restore security so that no Nigerian dies simply for showing up to earn a living.”
Calling for a national awakening, Ozigbo urged Nigerians not only to reflect on the state of labour but to “resolve.”
“Let us build a Nigeria where work is a ladder, not a trap. Where effort leads to reward, and every worker is respected not in rhetoric but in reality,” Ozigbo continued.
“Where young Nigerians don’t have to flee their country to find dignity. Where no child is forced to dig minerals instead of reading books.”
He concluded with a signature rallying cry — one that has come to define his campaign and political philosophy:
“A stronger Nigeria begins when we lift the hands that build it. To all Nigerian workers, I say this: I see you. I honour you. And I will never stop fighting for you,” he declared.
“May God bless our workers. May God bless Nigeria. Ka Anambra Chawapu!”
Ozigbo, the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc., has built his political platform on a blend of economic transformation and people-first governance.
His award-winning 2025 gubernatorial run in Anambra State has drawn national attention, with many observers citing his credibility, vision, and cross-sector experience as distinguishing traits.
Through the initiatives of his eponymous non-profit, Valentine Chineto Ozigbo (VCO) Foundation, Ozigbo has distinguished himself as a new-generation transformational leader and philanthropist with a focus on youth development, tech education, sports development, and women empowerment.
