NLC Threatens Nationwide Protests Over Proposed Electricity Tariff Hike

The Federal Government was forewarned by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday to prepare for widespread demonstrations should the proposed increase in electricity rates proceed.

The union referred to the proposed increase as “economic violence against the working class and broader Nigerian populace” in a statement released following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Yola, Adamawa State.

The NLC pledged to organize citizens and laborers for resistance across the country.

The NLC was not the only source of this threat. The government is forcing Nigerians to “pay for darkness” without actually improving the country’s power supply, according to the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), which also denounced the action.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) reclassified electricity users in a “sham reclassification,” which infuriated the NLC.

The union claims that this reclassification is a flimsy attempt to force more Nigerians into higher tariff bands in the name of better services, which would only make their financial situation worse.

According to the statement, “the ruling elite, acting as enforcers of global monopoly capital, are determined to further deepen the misery of the Nigerian people through incessant economic strangulation, increased taxation, and tariff hikes.”

The union’s decision was unambiguous and unyielding: there would be widespread opposition to any attempt to raise electricity rates. It warned the government not to try to test the patience of the Nigerian people and ordered the National Administrative Council to start mobilizing for protests right away.

However, there are other issues causing this unrest besides electricity rates.

Concern was also raised by the NLC regarding the recent 35% increase in telecom rates.

The union acknowledged that it had reached an agreement with the government to lower the initial proposed hike from 50% to 35%, but it was still doubtful that the government would follow through on the agreement.

It issued a warning that the NLC would take firm action if the new telecom tariffs, which are scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2025, are applied in a way that deviates from the terms of the agreement.

The NLC underlined that “corporate and governmental inefficiencies should not be borne primarily by Nigerian workers.”

Support for the NLC’s stance is strong among electricity workers. The NUEE has also rejected the consumer reclassification, calling it an exploitative agenda designed to squeeze more money from Nigerians without improving service delivery.

In a statement by its acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, the NUEE criticized the government’s approach, saying the real issue isn’t tariffs — it’s the failure of the power sector to deliver reliable electricity.

We posed some important queries, such as: Who are the Band A customers? Who bears the brunt of the electricity hike? The most impacted will be the general public. They are the customers and end-users, and the additional costs will ultimately be passed down to them, worsening their already dire economic situation,” the union stated.

Rather than focusing on tariff reviews, the NUEE argued, the government should prioritize improving power supply and addressing the sector’s longstanding inefficiencies.