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By Philip Nwosu
Nigerians may experience nationwide power outages in the coming days as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) on Wednesday began an indefinite strike over unresolved welfare issues and the non-implementation of the national minimum wage.
The industrial action was announced in a notice signed by the acting General Secretary of NUEE, Dominic Igwebike, following the expiration of the union’s ultimatum to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
According to NUEE, the strike became necessary after management allegedly failed to address a long list of demands, including unpaid salaries, casualisation of workers and lack of essential working tools.
“It is unfortunate that the TCN management has decided to handle these issues with kid gloves and a lack of regard for the hard-working staff of TCN,” the union stated. “We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch our rights being vehemently violated and the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) going down the drain. To this end, the Union is compelled to withdraw its services.”
The strike directive, which the union described as “a call to action,” takes immediate effect and requires total compliance by members nationwide.
The union listed several grievances fuelling the strike, including non-implementation of the national minimum wage, casualisation of workers and non-provision of working tools and materials.
Other grievances of the workers include non-payment of staff salaries since April 2025, lack of operational vehicles, non-provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) since 2021, unresolved issues arising from the unbundling of TCN and non-payment of retirement benefits.
NUEE insisted that these long-standing challenges had hampered staff morale and jeopardised the stability of Nigeria’s already fragile power sector.
This is not the first time NUEE has resorted to strike action. In June 2024, the union also went on strike, leading to major disruptions in electricity supply across the country. That action was suspended following assurances of reforms from the TCN and the Federal Government, which the union now accuses management of failing to honour.
Energy experts warn that the current strike could further compound Nigeria’s chronic electricity challenges, as the TCN is responsible for transmitting power generated by plants to distribution companies nationwide.
Efforts to obtain a response from the TCN were unsuccessful as of press time. The TCN’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, did not immediately respond to enquiries.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are bracing up for prolonged outages, with the strike likely to cripple homes, businesses and industries dependent on the national grid.
