NLC Calls for Wage Awards, Local Crude Sales After Fuel Price Hits N1,430
On September 17, 2026, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warned that the recent fuel price increase to N1,430 per litre in major cities—and even higher in remote areas—is deepening hardship for workers and families. NLC President Joe Ajaero said the rise harms wages, school fees, rent, food costs, and pushes many toward poverty, warning that Nigerians' patience should not be mistaken for acceptance of suffering.
In response, the NLC urged the federal government to create immediate buffers by awarding reasonable wage increases to workers, selling sufficient crude oil in naira to local refineries, and expanding national storage capacity to handle energy emergencies and security challenges. Ajaero argued these steps would generate jobs, add economic value, and help address mutating security threats, especially as earlier government efforts to align pump prices with international crude costs had begun to show results.
Will the government heed the NLC’s call for wage awards and crude sales to cushion the shock, or will workers continue to bear the brunt of rising transport and living costs?