Nigerian Workers Demand Higher Pay and Lower Taxes Over Economic Hardship

Petrol now costs between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre in Nigeria, a direct consequence of the surge in global oil prices triggered by the escalating conflict in the Middle East. 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has responded by pushing the Federal Government for immediate financial relief for workers, arguing that ordinary Nigerians are being made to pay the price of a crisis they had no hand in creating.

The union wants a cost-of-living allowance for all workers, tax relief for low-income earners and a suspension of taxes on minimum wage earners, which it describes as extortion. 

It is also calling for a full overhaul of the government's cash transfer programme, citing concerns that the scheme is not transparent enough and that the most vulnerable Nigerians are not actually receiving the assistance meant for them. Any transfers, the NLC argues, should be adjusted to reflect current inflation levels.

The NLC argued that the fuel price crisis has exposed a long-standing failure, explaining that Nigeria's public refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna are not working, leaving the country fully exposed to whatever happens in global oil markets. 

Even the Dangote Refinery, which was supposed to bring some relief, has adjusted its prices in line with global rates, meaning ordinary Nigerians are still bearing the full weight of the increase.

The union noted that as long as Nigeria relies on a pricing system tied to global market swings, any conflict or crisis anywhere in the world will be felt directly in Nigerian homes and on Nigerian roads.

Billions of naira have been spent on turnaround maintenance for the public refineries over the years, with little operational result. The NLC wants accountability for that spending and is calling for the immediate rehabilitation and full operation of all three facilities.

Transport fares have risen sharply, and food inflation continues to climb. For workers earning fixed wages that have not kept pace, the math is getting increasingly difficult as more money leaves their pockets each month just to cover the basics of getting to work and feeding their families.

The NLC notes that when workers cannot afford transportation, productivity drops. When families cannot afford food, the social consequences follow.

Projections from the Nigeria Economic Summit Group suggest Nigeria could earn an estimated N30 trillion in additional oil revenue as a result of the current Middle East crisis. 

The NLC is demanding that this money be directed toward cushioning the same Nigerians being squeezed by the resulting fuel price increases, pointing to a pattern of previous windfalls that were never felt by ordinary citizens.

Global oil markets have responded sharply to the conflict, with Brent crude rising roughly three per cent to as high as $106.50. Countries dependent on imported refined products, Nigeria among them, are feeling the effects most directly.

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