NLC issues two-week ultimatum to FG on petrol price and minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress has given the Federal Government two weeks to reduce petrol prices and begin renegotiating the national minimum wage, warning that failure to act could prompt further action by the labour movement.

The ultimatum, which begins on Friday, October 9, 2026, was announced in a communiqué signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero after a joint meeting of the Congress’s National Executive Council and Central Working Committee in Abuja. The NLC directed its affiliates and allies to remain on alert, citing worsening economic conditions and declining purchasing power.

“The joint meeting-in-session notes with profound alarm the deepening misery inflicted on the Nigerian working class and the broader masses by the neo-liberal policies of the federal government and its state institutions,” the communiqué said. It added that “inflation continues to soar unabated, the naira remains traumatised, wages have been rendered worthless, and the cost of living has become unbearable.” The Congress said currency depreciation and rising prices had substantially eroded the value of the national minimum wage.

“The current national minimum wage has been rendered worthless by the relentless depreciation of the naira and the astronomical rise in the cost of living,” it said. According to the NLC, workers could no longer afford basic needs, including “food, shelter, healthcare, transportation, and education”. It demanded that wage renegotiation begin before the end of October.

“The Congress demands a living wage that reflects the true cost of living and the dignity of the Nigerian worker. Any further delay by the federal government remains unacceptable,” it said. The Congress also called for petrol prices to be reduced nationwide to the level prevailing when the current minimum wage was signed into law in 2024.

“The joint meeting reiterates its call on the federal government to work with relevant agencies to immediately reduce the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol,” the communiqué said. The NLC said high fuel prices had a “cascading effect” on transport fares, food prices and other essential goods. It also sought tax relief and immediate wage awards for workers.

“These measures are the bare minimum required to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and restore a measure of dignity to their lives,” it said. Other demands include implementation of the February 5, 2026, Terms of Settlement with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals, alongside outstanding demands from the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council.

The Congress warned that its relevant organs would determine the next steps if the government failed to respond within the deadline. “Failure of which the NLC will be compelled to take remedial steps as would be directed by the relevant Organs,” the communiqué said.