Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, have given President Bola Tinubu until September 30, 2026, to take urgent steps to address the worsening cost-of-living crisis, including a demand for petrol to be made available at ₦500 per litre.
The workers also demanded an immediate Wage Award, upward review of salaries and allowances across the public service, and the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
The demands were contained in a letter addressed to President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, where the council warned that the continued decline in workers’ purchasing power was creating palpable tension among public servants and Nigerians generally.
The council expressed concern over the sharp increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), noting that petrol had reached ₦1,430 per litre or more in some locations. It linked the worsening cost-of-living situation to the removal of the fuel subsidy three years ago, arguing that the policy had produced multiplier effects on the prices of essential goods and services across the economy.
The JNPSNC urged the Federal Government to “look inward and stabilise the prices of fuel to an affordable minimum,” stressing that petrol remained an essential commodity with significant implications for the Nigerian economy.
Specifically, the workers asked the government to make petrol available at ₦500 per litre, which they said was the price at which fuel was being sold when the subsidy was initially removed in 2023.
They also proposed the establishment of an intervention fund for stakeholders in the oil sector as part of measures to stabilise fuel prices and eventually bring the pump price down to ₦500 per litre.
The council said the intervention could be given another name if the Federal Government considered the term “fuel subsidy” unacceptable. According to the workers, reducing the price of petrol would have a multiplier effect across the economy by lowering transportation and production costs and easing pressure on the prices of goods and services.
The workers also rejected continued dependence on food palliatives as a sustainable solution to the economic hardship.
They cited the distribution of rice, Indomie, vegetable oil, garri and other food items as examples of interventions that, in their view, failed to address the structural causes of the crisis.
The JNPSNC maintained that such measures were temporary and did not restore workers’ purchasing power or address rising production and transportation costs.
The council stated that Nigerian workers had realised that the provision of food palliatives was unsustainable and did not adequately reach the majority of the population, while also alleging that such interventions were limited to political cronies.
The council argued that lowering petrol prices would provide broader relief because the effect would extend to transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, distribution and household expenses.
The workers also endorsed proposals attributed to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, on measures to address the fuel crisis.
Ajaero was quoted as arguing that Nigeria, as an oil-producing country, had sufficient local refining capacity, much of which was in private hands.
The NLC position cited by the council called on the Federal Government to sell sufficient crude oil in naira to local refineries and expand the country’s storage capacity as part of measures to strengthen energy security.
According to the position, the measures could create jobs, generate economic value and help address emerging security challenges.
It also argued that government intervention to cushion citizens against severe economic shocks was not necessarily incompatible with broader economic reforms.
The NLC position further claimed that Nigeria was earning substantially above the budgeted oil price in the international spot market, with the difference estimated at between $35 and $40 per barrel.
The JNPSNC said it “wholeheartedly subscribes to the submission of NLC leadership” and urged the Federal Government to consider the proposals for urgent implementation.
Beyond the issue of petrol pricing, the council demanded an immediate Wage Award covering Federal, State and Local Government workers.
It also called for an upward review of salaries and allowances across the public service, citing the erosion of workers’ real incomes as a result of inflation and increasing living costs.
The JNPSNC urged President Tinubu to direct the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to commence discussions with the NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), JNPSNC and other relevant stakeholders on the proposed Wage Award and salary review.
The council said improved remuneration was necessary to restore workers’ purchasing power, enhance productivity and service delivery, promote integrity and accountability, and strengthen industrial peace. (Phoenix Browser)
It said the combined effects of rising inflation, fuel prices, transportation costs and increasing expenses on food, housing, healthcare and education had significantly reduced the real value of workers’ salaries.
According to the council, many workers were now struggling to meet basic financial obligations, a situation it said had affected their morale, motivation and overall productivity in the Public Service.
The workers further demanded the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
They said beginning the negotiations early would help prevent delays and ensure that the new wage takes effect from January 2027.
As part of its proposal, the council proposed ₦500,000 as the minimum monthly salary for an officer on Grade Level 01, Step 1, under the proposed 2027 salary template.
It also demanded harmonised wages across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), while calling for similar reviews at the State and Local Government levels.
The JNPSNC further called for periodic reviews of salaries and allowances in line with inflation to prevent workers’ purchasing power from being eroded again in the future.
The workers also requested additional welfare measures, including subsidised transportation and affordable housing for public servants.
Describing public servants as the “backbone of governance and national development” and the “live wire of any administration,” the council said civil servants were responsible for policy formulation, implementation of government programmes and delivery of essential public services.
It warned that worsening economic conditions were negatively affecting workers’ morale and productivity and could undermine effective public service delivery.
According to the council, restoring workers’ purchasing power, improving productivity and service delivery, promoting integrity and accountability, rebuilding trust and maintaining industrial peace were among the key reasons behind its demands.
The JNPSNC consequently gave the Federal Government until Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to act on its demands, saying the deadline was necessary to “douse the palpable tension that may erupt.”
The council expressed confidence that its request would receive prompt attention in the interest of Nigerian workers and their dependants, the Public Service as an institution, and the nation.
The workers also said they expected President Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast to address the concerns raised in their letter.
They expressed the expectation that the President’s address would consider their proposals and provide relief to Nigerians facing worsening economic hardship.
