Nigerian Unions Demand N500 Petrol Price and Wage Hikes

The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have issued a formal demand to President Bola Tinubu to stabilize petrol prices at N500 per litre and establish a new minimum wage of N500,000 per month for public servants. The unions set a deadline of September 30, 2026, for the government to act, warning that current economic conditions are creating palpable tension among citizens.

These demands follow a surge in fuel costs, with petrol reaching N1,430 per litre and diesel exceeding N2,000 per litre in cities like Lagos and Abuja. The price hike was driven by Middle East tensions and a decision by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals Fze to raise its wholesale gantry price to N1,350 per litre. The JNPSNC argues that food palliatives are an unsustainable intervention that cannot solve the current cost-of-living crisis.

Labor leaders are calling for the immediate formation of a committee to negotiate a 2027 salary template and the creation of a fuel intervention fund. The NLC has specifically advocated for increasing naira-denominated crude supplies to local refineries to create a price buffer against global market volatility. While investors have praised the removal of petrol subsidies, union leaders maintain that the reform has severely eroded household purchasing power.