The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress has declared a two-day nationwide mass protest planned for February 27 and 28.
Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, made this announcement during an emergency session at Labour House in Abuja on Friday.
“It is regrettable that we are compelled to resort to such measures, but the persistent neglect of the welfare of citizens and Nigerian workers and the massive hardship leave us with no choice,” he said.
Ajaero stated that the decision to organize a protest was made following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government regarding the nationwide hardships. The deadline was set to highlight the demands for reforms aimed at easing the ongoing difficulties faced by Nigerians.
The unions accused the Federal Government of not implementing the agreement reached in October. President Bola Tinubu’s decision to eliminate a popular yet costly fuel subsidy last May, along with the administration’s move to lift restrictions on currency trading, led to a significant increase in petrol prices, more than tripling in value.
On February 8, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress issued a two-week ultimatum to the government to address demands ranging from wage increases to improved access to public utilities. They accused the government of failing to fulfil promises to mitigate the impact of reforms.
In a statement, the unions gave the government 14 days to address “issues crucial to the well-being of Nigerian masses and workers.”
