Construction workers groan over job losses, economic hardship, excessive workloads

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

The Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CCESSA) has raised the alarm over mounting economic hardship, job losses and excessive workloads confronting construction workers, warning that the pressures are threatening their mental health, family stability and productivity.

CCESSA called on employers to improve working conditions, ensure adequate staffing, provide opportunities for rest and strengthen mental health support for employees in the construction industry.

Its National President, Dr. Ayodeji Adeyemo, made the call at the association’s 2026 Annual National Seminar in Abuja, with the theme, “Mental Health Challenges and Stress Management Strategies in the Nigerian Construction Industry.”

Adeyemo said rising food prices, transportation costs, healthcare expenses and job insecurity had subjected workers to increasing stress, with many struggling to balance demanding jobs with responsibilities at home.

“Construction workers are really stressed both in their workplaces and at the home front,” he said, explaining that the seminar was designed to teach members how to manage stress and protect their mental well-being.

He expressed concern that the strain of economic hardship was increasingly affecting family relationships.

“Aside from losing our jobs, because even currently companies are sacking our people, we don’t want to lose our families,” he said.

The CCESSA president urged workers to speak with management whenever they were assigned excessive responsibilities, particularly when duties meant for several employees were concentrated on one person.

“They should not allow themselves to work without rest,” he said, stressing the need for dialogue over excessive workloads and demanding shift schedules.

Adeyemo maintained that workers needed to take their mental health seriously while employers created conditions that allowed them to perform their duties without compromising their well-being.

Speaking in a similar vein, CCESSA National Deputy President, Cyprian Ighalo, lamented poor salaries, retrenchment and mounting financial obligations, warning that job losses in the construction industry affected entire families.

“When you drop a worker, you are not just dropping a worker, you are putting difficulty into a very large family,” he said.

According to him, spouses, children, extended relatives and other dependants often rely on one worker for their livelihood, making retrenchment a source of hardship beyond the immediate employee.

Ighalo, who described workers’ earnings as inadequate amid rising living costs, said: “Our salaries are very poor. They call it take-home. It doesn’t take us home.”

He also urged government and industry stakeholders to give the construction sector greater attention because of its employment potential and the range of skilled and professional personnel required to deliver infrastructure projects.

On mental health management, British-Nigerian psychiatric and mental health nurse, Mrs. Temilola Olagunju, urged workers to take responsibility for their psychological well-being, identify early signs of emotional distress and develop healthy coping mechanisms.

“Always remember that you are responsible for your mental well-being,” she advised.

Olagunju encouraged participants to establish regular sleep routines, maintain recreational activities and identify trusted people or support systems they could turn to when overwhelmed.

She stressed that workers should not allow pressure to build unchecked before seeking help.

UK-based mental health specialist, Steven Ince, identified demanding work environments, financial difficulties, relationship problems, physical health concerns and significant life events as factors that could undermine emotional and psychological well-being.

He urged workers to maintain a healthy balance between work, family and leisure, communicate their concerns early and seek professional assistance when necessary.

The resource persons also emphasised that employers and unions had important roles to play in creating supportive workplaces where workers could discuss mental health concerns without fear of stigma or discrimination.

Beyond mental wellness, labour officer and public-sector reform expert, Uyi-Aivinhyenyo Osagie, FCIPMN, ACIPM, highlighted emotional intelligence as an essential skill for managing workplace disagreements and building productive professional relationships.

He urged workers to cultivate self-awareness, emotional control, empathy and respectful communication, noting that the ability to manage conflict was crucial to teamwork and effective leadership.

Management and human development expert, Kayode Onileowo, advised workers facing tight deadlines to remain organised, anticipate challenges, plan their activities and communicate effectively with colleagues.

“Don’t get worried. Don’t get scared. It’s a task that must be done,” he said, encouraging employees to remain calm and work collaboratively to achieve set objectives.

Also speaking, a CCESSA member, Elizabeth Oshibote, urged construction companies to prioritise workers’ health by providing conducive working environments, allowing adequate rest and sponsoring employees for capacity-building programmes.

“As construction workers, we need to hold our health in high esteem and take good care of ourselves, because it is a well body that can discharge our duties appropriately,” she said.

Oshibote, who highlighted the additional demands faced by women balancing professional and domestic responsibilities, said workers should not be ashamed to seek help or take time to recover from exhaustion.

“It is not a crime for you to seek for help. And it is not a crime for you to relax,” she said.

The association’s National Financial Secretary, Comrade Ogundare, also stressed the importance of personal wellness for women in the construction industry, noting that many had to navigate the competing demands of their jobs and family responsibilities.

She said the seminar had reinforced the need for workers to take scheduled breaks, maintain healthy sleep habits and speak up when they experienced health concerns.

Ogundare also advised workers to reduce late-night social media use and maintain consistent sleeping schedules to improve recovery and daily performance.

The seminar called attention to the need for a stronger workplace culture that places employee welfare alongside productivity, with adequate rest, fair workloads, mental health awareness and access to professional support identified as important elements of a safer and more sustainable construction industry.

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