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Power cut across Nigeria as workers go on strike

Millions of Nigerians are without electricity after the national grid was shut down as part of a general strike over the rising cost of living.

The country was plunged into darkness shortly after 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) when union members prevented operators at the country’s power control rooms from working and shut down electricity substations.

Many flights have also been cancelled in the country’s busiest airport in Lagos, and in the capital, Abuja, with passengers left stranded.

Unions are demanding a huge increase in the minimum wage, saying workers cannot survive on the current rate of 30,000 naira (£18; $22) a month.

The government is offering to double this but security guard Mallam Magaji Garba tells the BBC that this would not even be enough to buy a 50kg bag of rice, which he needs to feed his family each month.

The bag of rice costs 75,000 naira ($56; £44) – more than the government’s proposal, even before taking other expenses into account.

“I am calling on the government to consider us and increase the minimum wage so that we can live and eat decently,” says Mr Magaji, who works for the education ministry in the northern city of Kano.

“It’s not fair that we have top government officials earning millions monthly and the smallest workers earn so little and finding it difficult to feed.”

The 59-year-old said he sometimes has to walk to work as he cannot afford to pay for transport.

Nigeria’s unions under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress are demanding the minimum wage be increased to 494,000 naira (£290; $369) which they say reflects the current economic realities.

The government says accepting these demands would cripple the economy and lead to job losses because many businesses would not be able to pay their workers and so have to close.

Schools, offices, and hospitals across the country have also been closed.

This strike is the fourth since President Bola Tinubu came to office last year.
Since then, Nigerians have been hit by a double whammy of the removal of a fuel subsidy and a collapse in the value of the naira, leading to the worst economic crisis in a generation.

The government has ended the policy of pegging the value of the naira to the US dollar, allowing it to dramatically depreciate. Whereas 10,000 naira would have bought $22 last May, it will now only purchase $6.80.

Mr Tinubu says the measures are necessary to reform the economy so it works better in the long term but in the short term, inflation has risen to nearly 34% and wages have not kept up.

 

Source: bbc.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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