CITAD warns against suppressing peaceful labour agitations

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has urged workers to remain hopeful and continue pursuing their rights through legitimate channels, warning that suppressing peaceful avenues for expressing grievances could push people towards unlawful means.

CITAD Executive Director, Engr Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, gave the warning while speaking at the second phase of the Kano Labour Institute, a three-day labour education training organised by the organisation in Kano.

He warned that denying people legitimate avenues to express their grievances could create conditions for more dangerous forms of resistance.

“The moment you prevent people from having the legitimate way to express themselves, they will invent the illegitimate way to fight back,” Ya’u said.

Ya’u urged workers not to abandon their struggles simply because immediate support or mobilisation was not visible, stressing the need to sustain legitimate efforts to demand their rights.

“My advice, please don’t lose hope. Don’t think everything is given up,” he said.

He linked hopelessness among some young people to destructive behaviours, including drug abuse and violence, stressing the importance of creating peaceful and lawful avenues for citizens to seek redress.

Speaking on the programme, CITAD Senior Programme Officer, Sani Muhammad Khamis, said the Kano Labour Institute was introduced in response to concerns over declining labour education and awareness, which he said had left some workers without adequate knowledge of their rights.

Khamis said the training was designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of labour issues, including workers’ rights and the relationship between employers and employees.

He said CITAD expected participants to become ambassadors of labour education by sharing the knowledge gained with colleagues and communities, as well as applying it to address workplace challenges and promote awareness of workers’ rights.

“We want them to be ambassadors,” he said.

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Speaking on behalf of the participants, Barrister Bilkisu Ibrahim Sulaiman, former

Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers commended CITAD for organising the training, describing the initiative as timely and necessary, particularly for young people.

Sulaiman noted that many young Nigerians were unaware of the struggles that shaped the country’s history, adding that excessive focus on an uncertain future often makes it difficult for them to appreciate the importance of continued advocacy for their rights.

She said the training and motivational sessions had strengthened participants’ commitment to pursuing their struggles through the right channels.

Sulaiman expressed appreciation to CITAD for the initiative and prayed for the organisation’s continued strength and success in its future endeavours.

The three-day programme, held from August 18 to 20, 2026, at the CITAD office in Kano, brought together representatives of labour unions, public and private sector workers, civil society organisations and human rights activists.