Middle East crisis: NLC demands cost of living allowance, wage award, tax relief, others

2026-03-15 - 14:16

By Victor Ahiuma-Young The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has demanded urgent intervention from the Federal Government to cushion the effects of the recent spike in petrol prices, calling for a cost-of-living allowance, a wage award for workers, tax relief, and immediate steps to revive the country’s public refineries. The labour centre said the sharp rise in fuel prices—now selling between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre—has worsened the economic hardship facing Nigerian workers and citizens, warning that the nation risks severe social unrest if urgent measures are not taken. NLC also accused the government of leaving Nigerians at the mercy of the volatile global oil prices triggered by the escalating Middle East crisis, noting that the situation has exposed the fragility of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector and deepened the suffering of workers and their families. In a statement titled “Save Nigerians From This Shock: An Urgent Relief Has Become Necessary,” signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, the Congress said: “NLC voices the collective anguish of millions of Nigerian workers who are bearing the brutal cost of a global capitalist crisis they did not create. The military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has sent shockwaves through global oil markets. As a result, 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 abroad with bombs and military escalation, Nigeria’s working class is being bombarded with poverty and hunger because we have failed to ensure that our public refineries are operational. “This crisis has brutally exposed the fragility of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector. It has stripped away the illusion that local refining alone would shield the country from global shocks. The Dangote Refinery has adjusted its prices in line with global volatility, passing the burden directly to the masses. This undermines the narrative that domestic production alone guarantees price stability. “As long as Nigeria remains dependent on a market-driven pricing structure tied to global fluctuations, and refuses to revive its public refining capacity, the country will remain hostage to international conflicts and market speculation. “The NLC had earlier warned about the danger of sabotaging public refineries in ways that could create monopolistic control in the downstream sector. This moment must serve as a wake-up call to the managers of Nigeria’s economy. “No nation achieves economic independence by exporting jobs and importing prices. The government must immediately halt the decay of the public sector and ensure the full rehabilitation and operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries. This is not a favour but the right of the Nigerian people, enabling the country to cushion itself against an increasingly hostile global economic environment. “The soaring cost of petrol, PMS, and diesel, AGO, has made transportation a heavy burden on workers. Food inflation continues to rise, while meagre wages are being swallowed by the rising cost of living. When workers cannot afford transportation to their workplaces, the economy stalls. When families cannot afford three meals a day, society sits on a keg of gunpowder. “The government cannot foreclose any action that would offer relief to the people. It is the duty of the state to act decisively to prevent the suffering of its citizens, rather than helplessly attributing the crisis solely to the Middle East conflict. “Recent projections by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, indicate that Nigeria may gain an estimated N30 trillion oil windfall from the ongoing Middle East crisis. The Nigeria Labour Congress therefore demands the following urgent actions: immediate Wage Award and Cost of Living Allowance, COLA, for all workers to cushion the rising cost of living; Current wages have effectively become starvation stipends; expansion and overhaul of the Cash Transfer programme to ensure transparency and guarantee that assistance reaches the most vulnerable citizens. The value of transfers must also be adjusted to reflect inflation; immediate tax relief for workers, including suspending regressive taxes on low-income earners and taxing the informal sector. Taxing minimum-wage earners amounts to extortion, and a clear timeline for the full operationalization of all public refineries. The Nigerian state must be held accountable for the billions of naira spent on turnaround maintenance. “Nigerian workers are being pauperized and subjected to immense suffering. Workers are not statistics—they are the engine of the nation. When the engine overheats, the entire vehicle crashes. “The estimated N30 trillion oil windfall expected from the Middle East crisis must not disappear like previous windfalls. These resources must be invested in the Nigerian people and used to cushion the economic hardship caused by the current crisis. “The government must engage in sincere social dialogue with Nigerian workers and the broader citizenry. Using the Middle East crisis as a justification for policies that deepen poverty is unacceptable. The primary duty of the government is to ensure the welfare and security of its citizens. We demand action. We demand justice. We demand survival.”