From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rattled the Federal Government over what it described as a worsening survival crisis in the country, demanding an immediate reduction in petrol prices, a nationwide wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The labour centre made the demands in an Independence Day statement signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Ajaero said Nigerian workers were facing an unprecedented squeeze as inflation continued to erode the real value of their earnings, while rising petrol and transportation costs had pushed up the prices of food, rent, school fees and other necessities.
“We stand at the crossroads of a full-scale survival crisis. The real value of wages has been devoured by structural inflation,” he said.
He noted that petrol was selling for ₦1,430 per litre or higher in major cities, with prices reportedly significantly higher in remote areas.
According to the NLC, the cost of petrol had become a major driver of inflation because increases in fuel prices immediately translated into higher transportation and logistics costs across the country.
The labour union demanded that the government urgently find ways to reduce the price of petrol, describing the move as critical to easing pressure on households and businesses.
“Without cutting this chain, any effort to ease the suffering of the people is futile,” it said.
The NLC also revisited the petrol subsidy removal announced in May 2023, describing the subsequent increase in fuel prices as a “systematic assault on the working class.”
It questioned the destination of the savings which the government had said would be freed by the removal of the subsidy and redirected to infrastructure and social services.
“Government claimed subsidy removal would free up resources for infrastructure and social services. Three years later, petrol prices have multiplied several times over, yet the promised infrastructure and social services remain mirages.
“Where exactly did the subsidy savings go? Nigerians deserve an answer, and they deserve it now,” the union said.
The labour centre also criticised Nigeria’s continued reliance on imported refined petroleum products despite its position as Africa’s largest oil producer.
It argued that dependence on imported fuel had exposed workers and the wider economy to international oil price movements and other external pressures.
The NLC also demanded the immediate implementation of a nationwide wage award for workers at the federal, state and local government levels. It said the measure was necessary to provide emergency relief to workers whose incomes had been weakened by inflation.
“A wage award is not charity. It is an emergency intervention against the collapse of real income,” the union said.
The labour centre further demanded the implementation of tax relief measures agreed during the October 2023 negotiations between government and organised labour.
According to the NLC, the tax incentives contained in the Memorandum of Understanding reached by both sides have not been implemented as agreed.
The union also demanded the immediate constitution of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage for 2027.
It wants the process completed and the new wage standard legislated before the end of the year.
The NLC argued that the current ₦70,000 minimum wage had already lost significant purchasing power to inflation.
“The current ₦70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” it said.
The demand comes two years after the Federal Government approved the ₦70,000 national minimum wage in 2024, replacing the previous ₦30,000 wage benchmark.
The NLC said the review of wages must reflect prevailing economic realities and ensure that workers are able to meet basic household needs.
Beyond wages and petrol prices, the labour centre demanded a reduction in the cost of governance and greater transparency in public expenditure.
It argued that government must lead by example at a time when workers were being asked to endure rising living costs and make sacrifices.
The union also called for increased investment in roads and other critical infrastructure, as well as improvements in hospitals, schools and other social services.
It said young Nigerians should be provided with meaningful economic opportunities rather than being repeatedly asked to endure present hardship in anticipation of a better future.
The NLC said young people should “see hope instead of being preached to about hope.”
The labour centre also linked the country’s security challenges to the worsening economic situation.
It claimed that nearly 2,000 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents during the first quarter of 2026, while insecurity had made it difficult for farmers, teachers, doctors and other professionals to work in some communities.
The NLC argued that poverty, unemployment, desperation and inequality were among the factors contributing to violence and crime.
“Without addressing distributive justice, insecurity cannot be cured, and without curing insecurity, no economic recovery is possible,” it said.
It therefore called for a broader response to insecurity that combines security measures with economic and social interventions.
With political activities building ahead of the 2027 general elections, the NLC warned political actors against manipulating elections, intimidating voters or deploying ethnic and religious rhetoric capable of inflaming tensions.
The labour centre said it would, at the appropriate time, deploy its Workers’ Charter to state the policies and candidates it considers deserving of the support of the working class.
It, however, stressed that workers retained the right to independent political thought, judgment and choice.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress will always stand on the side of workers, fighting to the end for decent wages, safe workplaces, and a life of dignity,” Ajaero said.
