By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — THE Steel and Engineering Workers’ Union of Nigeria, SEWUN, Automobile and Precision Sectors, has called on the Federal Government to scrap the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, alleging that it has failed woefully in its mandate to revitalize the nation’s automobile sector through privatization.
SEWUN in a resolution at the end of its 2025 Annual Industrial Relations Seminar held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, claimed that every automobile company sold under the BPE-led privatization programme has either collapsed or struggle for survival.
It alleged that the privatization process was riddled with corruption and lacked transparency, as companies were sold to individuals without the requisite technical know-how or financial capacity to run them.
The Union in the resolution said: “It is amazing to note that all the automobile companies owned by the Federal Government and privatized by the Bureau of Public Enterprises have closed shop. The cause of this ugly situation is that BPE corruptly sold these companies to people who possessed no knowledge, technical skills nor the funds to manufacture or assemble vehicles.”
A communique jointly signed by Comrade Oyabugbe Sunday, President General of SEWUN, and Comrade P. E. Okonma, General Secretary, emphasized that the failure of the privatization programme has contributed significantly to the collapse of the automobile industry and the loss of thousands of jobs.
SEWUN insisted that the Federal Government must urgently review the entire privatization policy and take decisive action to revive the auto sector, warning that continued inaction could plunge the industry into total extinction.
“The automobile sector of the economy is not doing well,” the union declared. “We urge the Federal Government to, as a matter of necessity, have a second look at the privatization exercise which has woefully failed. There is no single automobile company privatized that is functioning well today.”
Beyond the auto sector crisis, SEWUN also addressed broader national issues, particularly Nigeria’s worsening economic woes.
The union called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts in job creation, infrastructural development, healthcare, and education as critical steps to tackling unemployment, hunger, insecurity, and inflation. It warned that current inflationary trends are largely driven by excessive government spending, urging the administration to adopt prudent fiscal measures.
“It is an established economic principle that inflation in Nigeria today is driven by government spending. Hence, we call on governments to spend less as a means to tame inflation and give relief to the Nigerian people,” the statement read.
On the lingering security crisis across the country, SEWUN threw its weight behind the creation of state police, arguing that it would curb insecurity by over 70 percent, despite concerns over possible abuse by state governors.
“We join other well-meaning Nigerians to advocate for the establishment of state police which we believe will reduce insecurity by over 70 percent,” the communique added.
The union also weighed in on the ongoing debate over fuel subsidy, rejecting any move to reinstate the previous subsidy regime but cautioning against government policies that leave Nigerians at the mercy of hunger and poverty.
SEWUN urged the government to introduce a restructured, people-centered intervention to cushion the effect of reforms on the masses.
“Fuel subsidy in its old form should not return, but neither can government abandon the people to hunger and inflation. What is needed is a restructured and people-centered intervention that protects the masses while ensuring Nigeria’s resources are used productively,” it stated, warning that no economic reform can be deemed successful if it deepens poverty and misery.
The union further expressed solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in its push for the reconstitution of the boards of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the National Pension Commission (PenCom). According to SEWUN, this is crucial to prevent mismanagement and diversion of workers’ contributions.
In closing, SEWUN commended its national leadership for achievements recorded in the past year, especially efforts to secure better wages for members despite Nigeria’s challenging economic environment. It also urged the leadership to continue pushing for a favorable outcome in the ongoing National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) collective bargaining negotiations.
The three-day seminar, themed “Building and Deepening Trust Towards a Productive Partnership Between Union and Management,” was organized by the Centre for Advanced Management Studies, University of Ibadan. The event featured plenary sessions, lectures, and workshops aimed at equipping workers with practical knowledge on workplace ethics, conflict resolution, and industrial relations.
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