Follow Us on Google
Following the increase of the pump price of petrol to as much as N1,470 per litre and above in some parts of the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to approve wage awards for workers to ameliorate the prevailing economic hardship. Similarly, the NLC and civil servants, under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, have also demanded a new minimum wage of N500,000 and reduction of petrol price to N500 per litre to address the worsening economic crisis in the country.
The National Secretary of the JNPSNC (Trade Union Side), Olowoyo Gbenga, had in a letter to President Bola Tinubu, demanded the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate a new national minimum wage ahead of the 2027 general election. Nigerian workers opined that the recent increase in fuel prices to N1,430 per litre and above in some locations had further worsened the cost of living crisis. The workers gave the government to September 30, 2026 to accede to their demands. They warned that the prevailing economic hardship in the country has created palpable tension among workers and Nigerians. The JNPSNC comprising Nigerian Civil Service Union; Medical and Health Workers Union; Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria; National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives; and others, had maintained that the removal of fuel subsidy three years ago had caused multiplier effects on the prices of essential commodities in the country.
The Nigerian workers demand for wage awards and other measures to cushion the impact of the prevailing economic hardship in the country is legitimate. As an oil-producing country, Nigerians should not be subjected to this level of suffering. The economic benefits from removal of fuel subsidy should be made to trickle down. The argument that subsidy removal has put more money in the hands of state governors, when the masses are suffering, does not hold water. Therefore, the Federal Government must urgently consider both ad hoc and long- term measures to address the prevailing economic hardship affecting almost all Nigerians. It is sad that about 140 million Nigerians are no multi-dimensionally poor.
Government’s poverty alleviation measures appear not to be working. Nigeria cannot be rich while millions of Nigerians are wallowing in abject poverty and misery. Government must begin now to address the concerns of Nigerian workers and the welfare of all Nigerians. Unfortunately, the current national minimum wage of N70,000 per month can hardly take care of any worker in the country. We say this because a 50kg bag of rice sells for between N80,000 and N90,000 or above depending on the brand and location. The prices of garri, beans, yams and others are steadily n the rise. Government must provide the basic needs of Nigerians, food, water, shelter, healthcare, education and transportation. With the sliding value of the naira against the US dollar and other international currencies, the nation’s economy will never be stable and its growth cannot be predictable. No doubt, Nigerian workers deserve a living wage that will take care of their needs. It is unfortunate that inflation has wiped out the envisaged gains of the current minimum wage. Government should also address the power challenges where many Nigerians pay for darkness due to the inefficiency of electricity generation and distribution and absence of prepaid meters to many electricity consumers.
No nation can develop with low level of power generation and supply. The Federal Government must work hard to change this ugly narrative. To address the rising cost of petroleum products in the country, government should sell crude in naira to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries. Government should intentionally encourage the establishment of more refineries so that we stop depending so much on imported petroleum products which cost higher. The moribund government refineries should be sold. The gains of being an oil-producing country must be made to reach all citizens. Labour’s call to expand national fuel storage capacities is an essential strategy for energy security. This will enable the states to stockpile reserves during periods of market stability and distribute them during supply crunches to prevent artificial scarcity and hoarding.
The Federal Government must listen to the NLC’s warnings and save the situation now before the socio-economic strain pushes the public past the limit of what can be tolerated. Implementing immediate wage awards, fast-tracking the full rollout of a new minimum wage, and aggressively enforcing naira-for-crude arrangements for local refiners must be pursued with vigour.
