The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to approve emergency wage awards and other relief measures following a fresh rise in petrol prices.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the demand in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, as the union put the price of petrol at about N1,430 per litre in major cities.
The labour centre also called for crude oil to be supplied to domestic refineries in naira and for the expansion of petroleum storage capacity.
Ajaero warned that higher fuel prices would increase transport costs and further drive up the cost of food, rent, school fees and other essentials.
He said the increase came as efforts to persuade oil marketers to reduce pump prices following lower international crude prices were beginning to yield results.
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The NLC attributed the renewed pressure partly to the resurgence of conflict in the Gulf, arguing that Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing nation should offer some protection from global energy shocks.
Ajaero called for immediate government intervention, including subsidies where necessary during an emergency, noting that other oil-producing countries were adopting measures to shield their citizens from the crisis.
The union also urged the government to ensure adequate crude supplies for local refineries through naira transactions, saying this would strengthen domestic refining and energy security.
The NLC’s latest demand comes three years after the Federal Government introduced a temporary N35,000 monthly wage award for federal workers in October 2023 following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The labour centre is now seeking fresh relief as higher fuel costs threaten to compound transportation and household expenses.