The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the Federal Government to implement immediate wage awards for workers, arguing that the steady climb in petrol prices is eroding household purchasing power and deepening economic hardship across the country.
NLC President Joe Ajaero delivered the demand in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday. He noted that petrol now sells for roughly N1,430 per litre in major urban centres, with even higher prices in harder-to-reach locations. According to Ajaero, rising transport fares could set off further increases in food prices, school fees, rents and utility tariffs.
He said the latest price movement partly reflects renewed conflict in the Gulf but maintained that Nigeria should have safeguards to shield citizens from abrupt international energy market shocks. "As a nation, and as a people endowed with enormous fossil resources, we are deserving of a certain level of protection or buffer against the gales from the Gulf," he stated.
To cushion the impact, the labour body proposed immediate and reasonable wage awards, sufficient naira-denominated crude oil allocations to local refineries, and an expansion of national storage capacity. Ajaero argued that these steps would strengthen energy security, support job creation and unlock additional economic value. "These measures will create jobs, economic value as well as deal with mutating security challenges," he said.
The NLC president also defended emergency intervention through subsidies or palliatives. "There is nothing wrong with government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergency situations like this," he added. He said such support was justified because the government is currently earning between $35 and $40 above its budgeted crude oil price in the international spot market.
Petrol prices have faced renewed pressure in recent weeks amid higher international crude prices and market volatility. Brent crude climbed to $96.98 per barrel on September 3, while pump prices rose above N1,310 per litre. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority later attributed persistent volatility to crude oil sourcing, domestic refining, logistics and transportation costs.
In July, Dangote Refinery shifted from naira-denominated to dollar-based pricing for petrol, fixing its ex-depot price at $0.779 per litre, which tied the naira equivalent to exchange-rate movements.
