The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government on Wednesday to pay wage awards and sell crude oil to local refineries in naira to cushion the impact of petrol reaching ₦1,430 per litre in major cities.
The union warned that high petrol prices in urban and remote areas will push up costs for food, house rent, school fees, and transport. In a public statement signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, titled “Save the Situation Now,” the union argued that extra revenue from global crude oil sales must assist struggling families.
The union stated that international crude oil currently sells between $35 and $40 per barrel higher than the benchmark set in Nigeria’s national budget. Ajaero stated that the government earned extra money from these high prices, providing extra funds to protect citizens from hardship.
“As a nation, and as a people endowed with enormous fossil resources, we are deserving of a certain level of protection or buffer against the gales from the Gulf, and indeed, other gales,” Ajaero said.
Demands for local refining and subsidies
The union requested quick actions to help families and businesses survive the price jump. Beyond cash support for workers, the NLC requested that the government sell sufficient crude oil to local refineries in naira and enlarge national oil storage facilities to safeguard energy supplies.
Ajaero insisted that government funding assistance remains proper during difficult periods.
“There is nothing wrong with government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergency situations like this,” Ajaero said, noting that other oil-producing countries provide relief funds during global energy disruptions.
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The union also criticised local refiners for importing crude oil from other nations instead of processing domestic supplies, calling the practice unreasonable for a country seeking local production capacity.
“On a long-term basis, we are equally concerned that local refineries are importing crude. This is unreasonable and unacceptable and defeats the logic and purpose of local capacity,” the statement added.
The price spike follows Nigeria’s policy changes in the downstream petroleum market after ending fuel subsidies in May 2023. That decision connected local fuel costs to foreign crude prices, currency exchange rates, and transport expenses.
While federal regulators worked to upgrade government-owned refineries and build private refining plants, foreign conflicts and market changes continue to raise pump prices. The NLC stressed that political leaders preparing for upcoming elections must intervene to stop marketer practices from punishing citizens.
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