Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has presented an ambitious policy agenda that places labour reform and public housing expansion at the centre of his proposed administration ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a series of posts shared on X on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Sowore set out proposals that include a national minimum wage of N500,000, the construction of one million public homes, and the abolition of casualisation and contract-based employment structures in both public and private sectors.
He argued that Nigeria’s current economic structure has entrenched inequality, particularly through labour practices that leave large segments of workers without security or benefits. His remarks also extended to housing policy, where he criticised existing frameworks for reinforcing class divisions.
Sowore said his administration would take a fundamentally different approach to public housing delivery. According to him, the focus would shift away from segmented housing schemes that separate income groups and instead promote integrated communities.
“Under the Sowore administration, Nigeria will return fully to mass public housing — but this time, there will be no discriminatory ‘low-income housing’ that segregates the poor and working class,” he wrote.
He described a housing model that incorporates mixed-income residential developments with shared infrastructure. These estates, he said, would not function as isolated shelter projects but as fully integrated communities.
“We will build mixed-income housing estates with green spaces, schools, malls, theatres, clinics, playgrounds, transport access, and community facilities built into them,” he stated.
Sowore’s housing proposal also includes a target of one million units nationwide, positioned as a state-led intervention to address chronic shortages and rising urban housing costs. He argued that public land and resources have historically been mismanaged or diverted for private accumulation.
“For too long, corrupt elites have hijacked land and houses meant for the people, using stolen public funds to build mansions they don’t even live in. That era will end,” he said.
He further stressed that the proposed housing programme would be designed around affordability and durability, while also incorporating environmental considerations. According to him, the intention is to shift housing policy away from speculative real estate practices and toward long-term public infrastructure.
“Our goal is to build 1 million decent public homes across Nigeria — affordable, dignified, environmentally responsible, and built for workers, families, students, and communities. An unprecedented new era of public housing is coming,” he added.
Labour reform formed another central pillar of his message. Sowore called for a complete end to casualisation, a system widely used across industries in Nigeria where workers are employed on temporary or non-permanent contracts without full benefits or protections.
He criticised the system as structurally exploitative and incompatible with worker dignity. In his words, “We are permanently discontinuing casualisation and exploitative contract staffing in Nigeria. Workers are not slaves, disposable tools, or modern-day serfs.”
He also linked labour precarity to broader economic instability, arguing that sustained unemployment and job insecurity are being used as leverage against workers in negotiations with employers.
“The era of using insecurity and unemployment to exploit Nigerian workers must come to an end. Under Sowore, labour will regain its dignity, and workers will regain their power,” he wrote.
Sowore further emphasised that employment conditions should include full protections such as healthcare, pensions, and stable wages. He positioned these rights as non-negotiable standards for all sectors of the economy.
“Every worker deserves dignity, job security, fair wages, healthcare, pensions, and humane working conditions,” he stated.
On wages, Sowore proposed a dramatic increase in the national minimum wage, setting it at N500,000. He argued that current wage levels do not reflect the cost of living or the value of essential public service roles.
“A minimum wage of N500,000 is not too much for Nigerian workers,” he said.
He specifically highlighted frontline public service workers, including security personnel and healthcare professionals, as groups that should receive improved compensation structures.
“Police officers, soldiers, teachers, doctors, nurses, and other public servants deserve a living wage, and those in critical sectors must earn additional allowances for the risks, sacrifices, and essential services they provide,” he added.
The proposals come as part of Sowore’s broader political messaging under the African Action Congress, which has consistently positioned itself as an anti-establishment platform advocating structural reforms in governance, labour relations, and public resource management.
While the proposals have drawn attention for their scale and scope, they also raise significant questions about fiscal feasibility, implementation capacity, and the structural changes required to support such sweeping reforms. Sowore, however, maintains that the current system is unsustainable and requires decisive intervention rather than incremental adjustments.
