RismadarVoice Reporters
September 16, 2026
The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on the Federal Government to introduce urgent measures to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices on workers, households and businesses across the country.
The labour centre said petrol was selling for about ₦1,430 per litre in major Nigerian cities, with prices reportedly higher in some less accessible locations.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday, warning that the increase could further worsen the cost-of-living pressures facing Nigerians.
According to the NLC, higher petrol prices are likely to translate into increased transportation costs and subsequently affect the prices of food, rent, school fees and other essential goods and services.
The congress urged the Federal Government to consider immediate interventions, including reasonable wage awards for workers, increased crude oil supply to domestic refineries in naira and expansion of Nigeria’s strategic petroleum storage capacity.
NLC SEEKS PROTECTION AGAINST GLOBAL OIL SHOCKS
The NLC said Nigeria’s position as a major oil-producing country should provide the country with some level of protection against disruptions and price increases in the international petroleum market.
The labour organisation linked the latest increase in domestic petrol prices partly to renewed tensions in the Gulf region, arguing that Nigeria’s substantial fossil fuel resources should provide a buffer against external energy shocks.
“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,” the congress said.
It called for policies capable of reducing the extent to which international market disruptions immediately affect Nigerian consumers.
WAGE AWARDS, CRUDE SUPPLY IN NAIRA PROPOSED
Among its proposed measures, the NLC called for reasonable wage awards to help workers cope with the additional financial pressure created by higher transportation and living costs.
It also urged the government to ensure adequate crude oil is supplied to domestic refineries with transactions conducted in naira.
The congress said strengthening local refining capacity and domestic crude supply could create economic value, support employment and improve Nigeria’s energy security.
It further called for an expansion of the country’s petroleum storage capacity to provide strategic reserves that could be deployed during emergencies or major disruptions to energy supplies.
NLC SAYS EMERGENCY SUBSIDIES SHOULD REMAIN AN OPTION
The labour centre argued that government intervention, including subsidies where necessary, should not be completely ruled out during periods of severe economic or energy disruption.
“There is nothing wrong with government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergencies like this,” Ajaero said.
The NLC said other oil-producing countries had introduced different forms of intervention and palliatives to reduce the impact of the current global energy situation on their populations.
It urged the Federal Government to consider similar measures appropriate to Nigeria’s economic circumstances.
LABOUR POINTS TO HIGHER CRUDE OIL REVENUE
The congress also argued that higher international crude oil prices could provide additional fiscal resources for government intervention.
According to the NLC, crude oil prices were trading about $35 to $40 per barrel above the benchmark used in Nigeria’s national budget.
The union described the difference as potential windfall revenue that could provide the government with additional fiscal space to support measures aimed at cushioning the effects of rising living costs.
CONCERNS RAISED OVER CRUDE IMPORTS BY LOCAL REFINERIES
The NLC also expressed concern over reports that some Nigerian refineries were importing crude oil despite the country’s status as an oil producer.
The congress argued that the situation was inconsistent with efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic refining industry.
“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 said.
Nigeria has been working to increase domestic refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products through large-scale private refining investments and efforts to restore government-owned refineries.
The downstream petroleum market has also undergone significant changes since the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, leaving domestic pump prices more exposed to crude oil prices, foreign exchange movements, logistics costs and other market factors.
NLC CALLS FOR URGENT GOVERNMENT ACTION
The congress maintained that the Federal Government should act quickly to prevent the full burden of rising energy costs from being transferred to workers and other Nigerians.
Ajaero warned against allowing deregulation to operate without measures to protect citizens during periods of exceptional market disruption.
The NLC said it would continue to speak on economic developments affecting workers and households while pressing for interventions aimed at reducing the impact of rising fuel and living costs.
