The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government until the end of a two-week deadline to reduce petrol prices nationwide and begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage, warning that it may take further action if the demands are ignored.
The ultimatum was announced in a communiqué signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero after a joint meeting of the union’s National Executive Council and Central Working Committee held in Abuja on Thursday.
The meeting discussed the country’s economic situation, rising living costs and the pressure on workers and other Nigerians.
According to the communiqué, the government is expected to act within two weeks beginning Friday, October 9, 2026.
“The joint meeting issues a two-week ultimatum to the federal government, beginning from Friday, Oct. 9, 2026,” the communiqué reads.
“Within this period, government is expected to take measures to reduce the price of petrol across the nation and commence the process of renegotiating a new national minimum wage.
“Failure of which the NLC will be compelled to take remedial steps as would be directed by the relevant organs.”
Ajaero argued that the current minimum wage had lost much of its purchasing power because of the naira’s depreciation and the rising cost of essential goods and services.
He said the government should begin negotiations before the end of October to ensure workers receive a living wage that reflects prevailing economic conditions.
The labour leader also called for an immediate reduction in petrol prices, noting that expensive fuel had contributed to higher transport fares, food prices and the cost of other basic necessities.
Beyond petrol prices and wages, the NLC demanded the implementation of the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU) on February 5, 2026.
It also called for the implementation of outstanding demands by the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC), the fulfilment of agreed tax relief measures and the immediate payment of outstanding wage awards to workers.
The congress said the measures were necessary to ease the financial pressure on workers amid worsening economic hardship.
Ajaero urged workers and affiliate unions to remain organised and ready to respond if the government failed to meet the demands within the stipulated period. He reaffirmed the NLC’s commitment to protecting workers’ interests and called on its affiliates and progressive allies to remain on high alert.
The ultimatum follows a three-day warning strike by public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council over the Federal Government’s failure to reduce petrol prices to ₦500 per litre and begin fresh minimum wage negotiations
