The petrol subsidy removal and the steep devaluation of the Naira were presented as essential repairs to Nigeria’s fragile economic architecture. Yet the most far-reaching consequence of this dual policy shift is the severe human toll it imposes on the poor.
The current moment in Nigeria is instructive. Economic reform, subsidy removal and currency adjustments have raised the political salience of wages and welfare; unions are responding to the erosion of purchasing power just as much as to broken promises. If leadership wants fewer strikes, it must treat labour peace not as a policing problem but as a governance challenge requiring transparent budgets, credible timelines and institutional investment.
NUPENG has directed members to return to work immediately. The agreement will require both parties to report back to the Minister of Labour one week after the unionisation process concludes.
Despite hours of negotiation, no memorandum of understanding (MoU) was agreed upon, and the meeting ended without resolution. Sources said that disputes over “offensive clauses” proposed by Dangote representatives triggered two walkouts by NUPENG negotiators.
For professionals, the sobering conclusion is this: “enough” is negotiable, contingent and strategic. It is negotiable because individuals can shape their value through skills, reputation and mobility. It is contingent because personal circumstances—location, dependants, and career stage—alter the arithmetic.
“Paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ₦1.5 m a month, with a population of over 200 million people, is a joke,” - RMAFC Chairman
