May 1, 1960 marked the first celebration of International Workers’ Day in Nigeria as it approached full independence from Britain (officially granted in October that year). Nigerian trade unions and labor activists used the day to press for better wages, improved working conditions, and local control of resources. The celebration became a potent symbol of the new nation’s emerging identity, where Black workers played an active role in shaping postcolonial democracy. May Day became an annual platform for advocating labor rights and government accountability. The 1960 rally also marked a cultural shift, where Pan-African ideals and socialist labor movements influenced Nigeria’s early policy frameworks. This historic May Day helped embed organized labor into the fabric of the country’s political evolution.