The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on labour leaders and union educators to rethink their approach to unionism.

The center urged them to go beyond routine protests and adopt more critical engagement with politics and public policy.

This was revealed by the Executive Director of CITAD, Engr. Y.Z. Ya’u, during the opening of a three-day training in Kano on Tuesday.

According to the ED, the program is not just about strengthening bargaining skills but about developing the intellectual and political capacity of unionists to understand the structures that shape workers’ lives.

“The program is designed to revive trade union education so that union members are better equipped with skills and knowledge to effectively represent workers, including through collective bargaining, to win meaningful victories for their members,” Engr. Ya’u said.

He made it clear that the aim was not to train agitators but to cultivate informed minds within the labour movement.

He explained that trade unionists need to focus on political developments and policy trends, as these directly influence the environment in which unions function.

He also emphasized that union members should be equipped with critical thinking skills to evaluate current systems and suggest effective solutions.

“The focus must shift from the bread and butter unionism to a broader outlook that connects workplace struggles with national policy debates,” he added

Engr. Ya’u said the initiative was part of CITAD’s broader mission to raise an active and politically conscious citizenry.

“Over the past decade, many civil society efforts have been limited to passive engagements such as election and budget monitoring. While these are important, they do not in themselves transform society. We believe that by building the capacity of people to engage critically and actively in all spheres of life, not just elections, we can spark meaningful change,” he said.

He warned that unions risk becoming irrelevant if their members are uncritical and disengaged.

“If you have passive members who are not critical, unions become docile. But if you build a culture of accountability and active engagement within the unions, then the movement regains its vitality and independence,” he stated.

Describing the training as an experimental step, Ya’u encouraged participants to reflect deeply, share their lived experiences, and take the lessons back to their unions and communities.

https://dailypost.ng/2025/07/09/trade-unionism-needs-critical-minds-not-just-agitators-citad/