Leaders of the organised labour have urged employers to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity and not as a tool to exploit workers.
They spoke at a one-day annual workshop themed “Future of work in the era of artificial intelligence: A wake-up call for stakeholders”, organised by Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN), in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in his message, noted that AI, under capitalist control, poses a threat to workers’ rights and collective power.
According to Ajaero, “the future of work in the era of AI is a pivotal battlefield in the ongoing struggle between workers and those who want to exploit them.” He cautioned that AI, though presented as technological progress, could deepen inequality by enabling job casualisation, de-skilling, and digital surveillance, while eroding workers’ bargaining power.
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“AI in the hands of big capital is primarily a tool for intensifying exploitation, reshaping labour relations towards greater precarity, and eroding the very foundation of workplace rights.”
The labour leader called on unions and workers to take proactive steps to shape the future of work in a way that ensures technology serves humanity, promotes decent work, and protects workers’ rights.
Speaking also at the workshop, Peters Adeyemi, the general secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), described AI as a double-edged innovation that, if wisely embraced, could enhance productivity and efficiency rather than eliminate jobs.
“I do not share the belief that AI has come to displace workers or destroy jobs. On the contrary, I believe AI is here to enhance productivity, save time, and empower workers who are willing to embrace it,” Adeyemi said.
He warned, however, against complacency among workers, stressing that responsibility for productivity ultimately rests with humans, not machines. “AI cannot think for us, nor can it take responsibility for our work,” he noted, adding that workers must remain vigilant about the quality and accuracy of AI-generated outputs.
Adeyemi also criticised what he termed the “policy of corruption” in governance, lamenting that corruption has become institutionalised in Nigeria, eroding the welfare and dignity of workers.
“The future of work is not to be feared, but to be shaped. Artificial Intelligence, if embraced wisely, can be a tool for liberation rather than oppression,” he added.
