Public Servants Begin Three-Day Nationwide Strike Over Petrol Price, Wage Demands

Public servants across Nigeria have begun a three-day warning strike following the Federal Government’s failure to address demands over the high cost of petrol, workers’ welfare and negotiations for a new national minimum wage.

The industrial action, organised under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), commenced at midnight on Friday, October 2, and is scheduled to continue until Sunday, October 4, 2026.

The council directed public servants in federal, state and local government services to participate in the warning strike, according to a circular issued by its National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo.

At the centre of the dispute is the workers’ demand for a reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, to ₦500 per litre.

The unions had previously given the Federal Government a September 30 deadline to respond to their demands. They also called for the approval of a wage award to cushion workers against rising living costs.

The council further wants the government to establish a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027. It has proposed a minimum wage of at least ₦500,000 from next year.

The JNPSNC said it had written to President Bola Tinubu on September 21 outlining its demands and had expected the issues to receive attention before the strike deadline.

According to the council, petrol prices remain a major source of economic pressure on workers and their families. It had previously cited pump prices ranging from about ₦1,450 to ₦2,000 per litre, with higher prices reported in some locations.

The unions have argued that reducing petrol prices could involve measures such as addressing the landing cost of imported products and supporting domestic refining operations.

They also called for the Federal Government to ensure crude oil is supplied to the Dangote Refinery and modular refinery operators on terms that would encourage increased domestic refining and potentially lower the cost of petroleum products.

The council said the continued economic pressure was affecting public servants, their dependants and other vulnerable Nigerians.

The warning strike follows the government’s failure to announce the measures demanded by the unions before the September 30 deadline. Reports said President Tinubu did not announce a reduction of petrol prices to ₦500 or a new wage award in his Independence Day address.

The JNPSNC comprises several public-sector unions, including the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

The unions have instructed their members across the three tiers of government to comply with the three-day action.