…Commends Tinubu 2026 Budget Commitment
The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Comrade Issa Aremu, mni, has called for a comprehensive revitalisation of Nigeria’s railway sector as a strategic pathway to job creation, industrial renewal, and the nurturing of future labour icons in the mould of Chief Dr. Michael Imoudu, Nigeria’s foremost labour leader.
Comrade Aremu made the call while delivering a goodwill message at the 20th posthumous anniversary of the late labour icon, describing Michael Imoudu as a symbol of principled struggle, nation-building, and working-class leadership whose legacy remains deeply relevant to Nigeria’s development aspirations.
The Director-General noted that Michael Imoudu’s historic emergence as a labour leader was inseparable from his roots as a railway worker and machinist, stressing that the decline of the railway sector represents not only infrastructural loss but also the erosion of a vital employment and leadership pipeline for working Nigerians.
“Without a functional railway system, we cannot reproduce workers and leaders of the calibre of Michael Imoudu,” Aremu stated, adding that sustainable industrial employment remains central to the growth of an enlightened and organised labour movement.
Highlighting Imoudu’s extraordinary life of struggle and service, Comrade Aremu recalled that the labour icon lived for over a century, combining intense activism with remarkable longevity. He described Imoudu as a towering nationalist who played a critical role in Nigeria’s anti-colonial struggle, labour organisation, and political mobilisation, including his leadership as the first President of the National Union of Railwaymen and his involvement in progressive political movements.
According to Aremu, Michael Imoudu exemplified the convergence of trade unionism, political consciousness, and ideological clarity, noting that his participation in nationalist movements, labour-led political parties, and socialist organisations underscored the historical role of labour in shaping Nigeria’s democratic and developmental foundations.
The Director-General further emphasized that the renaming of the National Institute for Labour Studies after Michael Imoudu in 1986 remains a landmark recognition of labour’s contribution to nation-building. He reaffirmed MINILS’ commitment to advancing labour education, social dialogue, and industrial harmony in line with the ideals embodied by its namesake.
In honouring Imoudu’s memory, Comrade Aremu urged continued advocacy for fair wages and improved working conditions, commending organised labour and the Federal Government for the achievement of the Sixth National Minimum Wage and ongoing engagement on compensation justice.
Significantly, Aremu commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sustaining and deepening national efforts to revive Nigeria’s railway infrastructure, noting that the President’s inclusion of railway development in the 2026 national budget reflects a strategic understanding of its importance to employment generation, economic integration, and industrial growth.
He observed that successive administrations had taken steps to restore rail transportation, but stressed that renewed and expanded investment—connecting industrial and commercial corridors across the country—would unlock large-scale job opportunities and restore the railway as a cornerstone of national productivity.
“Reviving the railway is not just about transportation; it is about restoring dignity to labour, creating decent jobs, and producing more Michael Imoudus for Nigeria,” Aremu said.Director General (MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu mni and Nigerian Lawyer & Activist, Femi Falana, SAN.
The Director-General concluded by reaffirming that the most enduring tribute to Michael Imoudu lies in sustaining the struggle for social justice, living wages, industrial employment, and inclusive national development, urging all stakeholders to remain steadfast in advancing the values for which the late labour icon lived and worked.