The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene to protect Nigerians from the rising cost of petrol and worsening economic hardship.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, the labour union said the recent spike in petrol prices – ranging between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre – has placed unbearable pressure on workers and ordinary citizens.
The NLC linked the price surge to escalating tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which it said had triggered instability in the global oil market.
While describing the development as an attack on the welfare of citizens, the labour body said Nigerian workers are being forced to bear the consequences of a crisis they did not cause.
Citing projections from the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), the NLC said Nigeria could earn about N30 trillion in oil windfall due to the Middle East crisis, urging the government to channel such revenue toward alleviating citizens’ hardship.
“The about N30 trillion oil windfall expected to accrue to Nigeria as a result of the current Middle East war must not grow wings but should be invested in the Nigerian people,” the union said.
Among other demands, the NLC called for an immediate wage award and cost of living allowance for workers, expanded cash transfers for vulnerable citizens, tax relief for low-income earners, and a clear timeline for the operationalisation of all public refineries.
The statement read in part: “The military escalation involving the US, Israel, and Iran has sent shockwaves through global oil markets. Consequently, petrol prices in Nigeria have skyrocketed to between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre.
“This is a direct assault on the Nigerian people. While imperialist rivalries play out with bombs abroad, our working class is bombarded with poverty and hunger because we have refused to ensure that our public refineries are operational.”
The union said the crisis has further exposed structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, stressing that reliance on global market pricing continues to leave the country vulnerable.
According to the NLC, the privately owned Dangote Refinery has also adjusted its prices in response to global volatility.
The NLC renewed its call for the immediate revival of Nigeria’s public refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, arguing that a functioning public refining system is essential for economic stability.
It warned that rising fuel prices have already increased transportation costs and worsened food inflation across the country.
The NLC said: “This crisis has brutally exposed the fragility of Nigeria’s downstream sector. As long as we remain dependent on a market-driven pricing structure tied to global vicissitudes, we will remain hostages to wars and speculators.
“The cost of PMS and AGO has made transportation a noose around workers’ necks. Food inflation is galloping, and meagre wages are being swallowed by this induced scarcity.”
The union stressed the need for meaningful engagement between the government and organised labour to address the worsening economic situation.
The NLC urged the government to act swiftly to protect the welfare of Nigerians.
The statement added: “We are not a statistic; we are the engine of this nation. When the engine overheats, the entire vehicle crashes.
“We demand action. We demand justice. We demand survival.”
