Workers and households would gain immediate relief if the federal government acts on demands from the Nigeria Labour Congress, the union federation said, after petrol pump prices climbed sharply across the country. In a statement titled Save the Situation Now, issued by NLC president Joe Ajaero, the union called on authorities to approve wage awards, sell crude to local refineries in naira and expand national fuel storage.
The NLC highlighted the human cost of the price move, saying pump prices in major cities now reach ₦1,430 and are higher in hard‑to‑reach areas. "We are seriously concerned by the rising cost of the pump price of petrol across the country," the statement said, warning that higher transport costs ripple through school fees, rents, food prices and other essentials, deepening poverty for many households.
Beyond immediate wage relief, the labour movement urged the government to use domestic policy levers to reduce vulnerability to international shocks. It asked for crude sales to local refineries priced in naira and for greater national storage capacity, arguing these steps would create jobs, add economic value and improve resilience against supply disruptions.
The NLC also defended direct government support in emergencies, saying "There is nothing wrong with the government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergency situations like this." The federation contended intervention is warranted now because, it said, the government is earning an extra USD35 to USD40 per barrel above the budgeted price, a margin the statement described as a windfall that translates to trillions of naira each month.
The statement questioned why a government preparing for re‑election in a few months would allow marketers, under deregulation, to leave citizens bearing the full cost of the shock. The labour federation framed its package of wage awards, naira crude sales and storage expansion as urgent and practical steps to blunt the social and economic damage from the fuel price surge.
The NLC made clear these measures are demanded immediately; the statement set them out as the federation’s preferred route to cushion workers and stabilise supply while the country manages a volatile international market.
