NIGERIA@66: NLC Demands Petrol Price Cut, New Minimum Wage

NIGERIA@66: NLC Demands Petrol Price Cut, New Minimum Wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded an immediate reduction in the price of petrol, a nationwide wage award for workers and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage for 2027.

In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, the NLC said the demands were necessary to address what it described as the worsening economic hardship confronting Nigerian workers and the wider population.

The statement, titled “Our Hope Depends on the Choices We Make and the Actions We Take,” was issued ahead of Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.

The NLC said the real value of workers’ wages had been eroded by inflation, while petrol prices and transportation costs had continued to drive increases in the prices of food, school fees, rent and other necessities.

“Petrol now sells at ₦1,430 per litre or higher in major cities and far more in remote areas. The surge in transportation costs drives up the prices of food, school fees, rent, and nearly every necessity of life, while nominal wages remain stagnant,” the union said.

 

The labour body also criticised the government’s petrol subsidy removal, arguing that Nigerians had yet to see the infrastructure and social services it said were promised as benefits of the policy.

“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 NLC said.

The union further demanded the immediate implementation of a nationwide wage award for workers at the federal, state and local government levels.

“A wage award is not charity. It is an emergency intervention against the collapse of real income,” it said.

The NLC also called for the implementation of tax relief measures it said were agreed upon during the October 2023 dialogue between the government and labour.

 

On the minimum wage, the union demanded the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to negotiate a new wage standard for 2027.

“The current ₦70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” the NLC said, calling for the new wage standard to be formulated and legislated before the end of 2026.

The labour organisation also called on the government to reduce the cost of governance and ensure greater transparency in the management of public resources.

“When workers are asked to tighten their belts, the extravagance and waste of the governing class are unacceptable. Government must lead by example,” it said.

 

Beyond wages and the cost of living, the NLC urged the government to invest in roads, hospitals, schools and other social infrastructure, while creating more economic opportunities for young Nigerians.

The union also linked insecurity to economic hardship, saying violence had affected farming, education, healthcare and broader economic activity in parts of the country.

It said, “Poverty, unemployment, desperation, and inequality are the most fertile soil for violence and crime. Without addressing distributive justice, insecurity cannot be cured, and without curing insecurity, no economic recovery is possible.”

On the 2027 general elections, the NLC called for the protection of voters’ choices and warned against electoral manipulation, voter intimidation and rhetoric that could incite ethnic or religious tensions.

As political campaigns intensify, the union said workers would assess political parties and candidates based on their policies and records concerning workers’ interests.

 

“The Nigeria Labour Congress will, at the appropriate time, use our Workers’ Charter to make it clear which policies and candidates deserve the support of the working class,” the statement said.

The NLC, however, stressed that workers’ organisations would not accept being treated merely as electoral tools, adding that workers had the right to “independent political thoughts, judgement, and choice.”

The union reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing better wages, safer workplaces, accountability in governance and improved living conditions for Nigerian workers.

“Hope belongs to those who organise, who struggle, and who choose their own destiny,” the NLC said.

The statement concluded with an Independence Day message to Nigerian workers and citizens, with the union declaring: “The struggle continues.”