General
Workers’ Day: NLC Decries Deteriorating Standard of Living of Nigerian Workers
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has outlined demands to the federal government while expressing deep concerns over the deteriorating economic conditions of workers as the world marks the International Workers’ Day (May 1).
NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, said Nigerian workers are groaning because of poor pay as a result of the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu as well as growing insecurity and political interference in labour affairs across the country.
Mr Ajaero described the current state of the Nigerian economy as hostile to workers, noting that the removal of fuel subsidy, Naira devaluation and rising inflation have plunged millions of households into deeper poverty.
He maintained that the current economic trajectory has eroded the value of wages, rendering workers helpless and unable to meet basic needs.
“It is clear that the policies of the government, particularly the ill-timed and unstructured removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the Naira, have pushed Nigerian workers and their families to the brink,” he said.
The NLC president reiterated the labour union’s position on the new minimum wage, stating that N70, 000 is the barest minimum that workers can accept under the current economic conditions. He argued that the amount, though still insufficient considering the skyrocketing cost of living, could serve as a starting point for negotiation.
He lamented the increasing hunger facing workers in the country, “We are hungry,” he said, adding that, “The minimum wage cannot buy a bag of rice. If you are sincere and you go to work every day, 20 days, your salary is gone on transportation.
“We are not asking for luxury. We are simply demanding a wage that allows a worker to live a dignified life, pay rent, feed their families, send their children to school, and transport themselves to work.”
He said that even this figure would need to be adjusted periodically to keep pace with inflation and market forces.
“If the government can effectively implement some of the measures they have put in place -such as the N70, 000 minimum wage, the CNG transport system, and the students’ loan- then one can say that the renewed hope idea is working. I think the foundation has been laid, but we need the real implementation of these,” he stated.
On energy and transport, he criticised the government’s failure to deliver on the promised palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal. He cited the delay in rolling out Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure and vehicles, which was supposed to provide affordable alternatives to petrol-powered transportation.
“They promised us CNG buses. Where are they? They promised wage awards. Many states have not implemented anything. The promises made last year have remained largely on paper,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government to accelerate the implementation of energy reforms, especially in the transportation sector, to alleviate the burden on workers who spend a significant portion of their income on transportation.
Mr Ajaero also raised concerns over the inconsistencies in salary payments and implementation of wage awards across various states and federal agencies.
He noted that many state governments have either failed to implement the approved wage increases or are paying workers below the agreed minimum wage, thereby violating labour agreements.
He pointed out that the disparities in the federal and state public service salary structures were unacceptable and called for immediate harmonisation, including a review of salary step progression and grade levels to ensure equity.
The NLC president further urged the government to reform the country’s tax regime, which he said unfairly targets the poor while allowing multinational corporations and political elite to evade taxes.
“It is only in Nigeria that someone earning N50, 000 a month is taxed heavily while the real billionaires are not paying their fair share. This system must change,” he said.
Additionally, the labour leader condemned the growing state of insecurity in many parts of the country, which he said not only affects productivity but, also, endangers the lives of workers, especially those in rural communities and high-risk professions.
He also criticised the decay in the health and education sectors, lamenting that many workers can no longer afford basic healthcare or quality education for their children. Turning to internal challenges within the labour movement, he decried the increasing political interference in union activities, particularly in Rivers and Edo states.
He accused state governors of undermining the autonomy of the trade unions, suppressing workers’ voices, and in some cases, promoting parallel union leadership to create division.
“In Rivers State, we are witnessing a complete breakdown of labour-government relations. Retirees are not being paid, union meetings are disrupted, and workers’ rights are trampled upon. In Edo, we are dealing with a crisis of leadership instigated by the state government,” he alleged.
He urged the federal government to call erring state governors to order and protect the rights of workers as enshrined in the Constitution to prevent the escalation of events in those states. He further stated the status of no May Day celebrations in the states still stands. He challenged the government to prioritise social services in its spending plans and cut waste in governance.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on Monday said it is partnering with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to chart a path for African energy development.
A statement by the company noted that the partnership was discussed last week, when the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mr Bashir Ojulari, received in audience the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Afreximbank, Mr George Elombi, at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.
NNPC said it set out its direction under the Enterprise First framework, positioning the company as a high-performance Partner of Choice built on execution and profitable growth.
Afterwards, both leaders agreed on a shared agenda for continental energy development and industrialisation, and to hold regular strategic sessions, the first session scheduled later in the year.
On financing, the state oil company said it led the discussion on the planned African Energy Bank (AEB), to be headquartered in Abuja, and confirmed its readiness to deepen its investment.
The Cairo-based lender was instrumental in the founding and funding of the energy bank that is soon to be operational.
Afreximbank affirmed its commitment to the company’s growth through risk-sharing, structured financing, and further refinancing to develop Nigeria’s oil and gas resources, the statement added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To close Nigeria’s $158 billion funding gap for 40 million small businesses, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has joined forces with MTN Nigeria to operate a platform known as mySMEville Academy.
The aim is to reach a target of 5 million MSMEs through the mySMEville Academy, e-commerce integrations, and national policy advocacy.
The platform was created as a one-stop shop for resources, with four core areas: information, funding, infrastructure, and markets, to support a sector that contributes 48 per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) but remains largely underserved.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, SMEDAN visited MTN’s head office alongside Angola’s INAPEM, the National Institute of Support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Angola’s agency is studying the collaboration between MTN and SMEDAN, which led to the launch of the mySMEville partnership in November 2025.
After a pilot in Lagos onboarded 200 businesses in December, the platform rapidly grew to include over 2,600 businesses nationwide by May 2026. This rapid expansion is essential given that 80 per cent of Nigerian SMEs are currently informal and only 3.9 per cent access formal credit, leaving a staggering $158 billion annual financing gap.
Emphasising the strategic necessity of this collaboration, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, Ms Lynda Saint-Nwafor, said, “Our goal is simple, we want to be the best technology partner out there, helping African businesses grow fast, compete globally, and make a real, lasting impact.”
Supporting this view, the Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, said the initiative represents the future of business on the continent, asserting that
“What we are witnessing here is a formidable force for economic progress. Through this deliberate Public-Private Partnership, Nigeria is aligning its public and private sectors to lead the way for Africa,” he stated.
On his part, the Senior Specialist for ICT Segment Management at MTN Business, Mr Olatunbosun Agosu, demonstrated with a live demo how the mySMEville platform, a joint effort by MTN and SMEDAN, is the “one-stop orchestrator” for Nigeria’s 40 million small businesses.
INAPEM’s Chairman, Mr Bráulio Augusto, confirmed that Angola intends to adapt the framework to its own economic reality, noting, “The key thing I learned here is the strength of the public and private sector partnership. mySMEville clearly shows what’s possible, and we will absolutely use these insights as we adapt this model back home in Angola.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Gas marketers have expressed worries about the scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), otherwise known as cooking gas, and rising prices, with consumers paying as high as N2,000 per kg in some areas.
A press statement by the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) raised concern about the erratic supply and the hike in the price of cooking gas across the country.
According to them, while prices have gone as high, they are forced to pay as much as N26 million for 20MT of cooking gas, depending on location.
“It is sad and rather very pathetic to inform the general public that the citizens of Nigeria have woken up to buy cooking gas, which should be a social item at a prohibitive cost of over N1,500per kg, while the Marketers are made to pay as much as N25,200,000, or, depending on location, N26,200,000 for 20MT of cooking gas.
“We feel that if the situation is not immediately checked, the citizens may rise against the owners of gas filling stations.
“This sad situation has brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerian households, small businesses, food vendors, and low-income families who rely on LPG for daily cooking and livelihood.
“It is rather worrisome to state that this situation is seriously eroding the substantial progress made by the Government on the usage of Clean Energy in the country,” a part of the statement said.
NALPGAM noted that its members face challenges in sourcing LPG due to persistent supply shortages, high depot prices, logistics bottlenecks, and uncontrollable rising operational costs.
“While millions of Nigerians have embraced cooking gas as a result of the national clean energy transition agenda, it is sad to state that those gains are at risk as households are struggling to refill cylinders, small businesses are folding under rising energy costs, while many families are reverting to firewood and charcoal despite the serious implications for public health, environmental degradation, and deforestation,” it said.
The association warned that if urgent and coordinated actions are not taken immediately, the current crisis could trigger broader consequences, including accelerated food inflation, the collapse of small-scale LPG retail businesses, job losses, reduced investor confidence, and a significant setback to Nigeria’s clean energy and climate commitments.
It called on the federal government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, domestic producers, terminal operators, international suppliers, and all critical stakeholders in the LPG value chain to take urgent, coordinated steps to stabilise the market before it degenerates further.
It called for immediate measures to improve the availability and accessibility of LPG nationwide, increased domestic LPG allocation to the Nigerian market, ensuring transparent and equitable distribution of available supply across regions, reduction of bottlenecks in product importation, storage, and distribution, implementation of strategic interventions to stabilise retail prices, and protection of consumers.
The marketers also called for other measures, such as investment in critical infrastructure, including storage and distribution facilities, and adoption of policies that support affordability, sustainability, and long-term growth of the sector.
NALPGAM reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and collaboration with government agencies, regulators, producers, and other stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions that will guarantee an affordable, stable supply and continued growth of the LPG sector.
“In conclusion, it is apposite to state that “We cannot stand by and watch millions of Nigerian families suffer in silence while access to clean cooking energy becomes increasingly difficult and unaffordable. For years, Government and industry operators have worked to move Nigerians away from unsafe fuels. Those gains are now under serious threat”, the statement added.
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