The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for an immediate reduction in petrol prices, a nationwide wage award and negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, made the demands in an Independence Day message issued on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ajaero said 66 years after independence, Nigeria’s governance had been increasingly shaped by policies that, in his view, had failed to adequately protect workers and vulnerable citizens.
He said rising inflation had significantly eroded workers’ purchasing power, while petrol prices had climbed to about N1,430 per litre or higher in major cities, with transportation costs driving increases in food, school fees and rent.
The NLC president urged the Federal Government to urgently reduce petrol prices, arguing that the cost of transportation remained a major contributor to inflation and household hardship.
He also demanded the immediate implementation of a nationwide wage award for workers at the federal, state and local government levels.
According to him, the wage award should serve as an emergency measure to cushion workers against the erosion of their real incomes.
Ajaero further called for the implementation of tax relief measures agreed during the October 2023 negotiations between the government and organised labour.
He also urged the government to establish a tripartite committee to negotiate and legislate a new national minimum wage for 2027 before the end of 2026.
He argued that the current N70,000 minimum wage had been substantially weakened by inflation and the rising cost of living.
The NLC president also called for a reduction in the cost of governance and greater transparency in public spending, saying government should demonstrate restraint while urging workers to make sacrifices.
He urged increased investment in roads and other social infrastructure, as well as improvements in public healthcare and education.
Ajaero said creating more opportunities for young Nigerians was necessary to reduce economic desperation and irregular migration.
On insecurity, he said escalating violence had further compounded the country’s economic difficulties, identifying poverty, unemployment and inequality as significant factors contributing to instability.
As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, Ajaero urged political actors to respect voters’ choices and avoid electoral manipulation, intimidation and divisive rhetoric.
He said the NLC would, at the appropriate time, use its Workers’ Charter to present its policy demands and articulate its position on candidates, while maintaining that workers retained the right to make independent political choices.
Ajaero reaffirmed the labour movement’s commitment to pursuing decent wages, safe workplaces, accountability and improved living conditions for Nigerian workers.
“Hope belongs to those who organise, who struggle, and who choose their own destiny,” he said.
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