A Federal Government delegation convened a crucial meeting with representatives from organized Labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), to discuss the recent surge in petrol prices and other commodities in the country.
The high-level meeting took place at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, inside the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The Federal Government’s team was led by Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, while the Labour side was represented by NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC Secretary General Nuhu Toro.
Notable attendees included Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labour, Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and National Planning.
Although the specific agenda of the meeting was not disclosed at press time, organized Labour has been vocal about its grievances regarding the recent hikes in petrol pump prices, electricity tariffs, soaring inflation, and the overall high cost of living in Nigeria.
This meeting comes shortly after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced an upward review of petrol prices at its retail outlets, pushing prices from ₦855 to ₦998. This latest increase occurred less than a month after the national oil company raised the price from ₦568 to ₦855 on September 2, 2024, causing widespread outrage among Nigerians.
Since President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, where he declared that “subsidy is gone,” petrol prices have consistently climbed, leading to significant public concern over the economic implications of such increases.