NLC Demands FG’s Intervention Over Fuel Hike, Tax Relief For Low-Income Earners

NLC demands FG’s intervention over Fuel Hike, tax relief for low-income earners. Mr Ajaero said the rising cost of petrol had worsened the hardship faced by Nigerian workers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for government’s intervention to address the surge in petrol prices between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre across the country.

The demand was contained in a statement signed by the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, on Thursday.

Mr Ajaero said the rising cost of petrol had worsened the hardship faced by Nigerian workers, particularly in transportation, food prices and general cost of living.

He stated, “The sudden increase in petrol price to between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre has further deepened the economic hardship faced by Nigerian workers and the general populace.

“The rising cost of fuel has made transportation increasingly unaffordable for workers, while food prices and other essential commodities continue to surge beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.

“The government must urgently introduce measures, including wage support and cost-of-living relief, to cushion the devastating impact of the current fuel price crisis on workers and vulnerable citizens.”

The NLC boss urged the Federal Government to introduce immediate relief measures, including wage support and policies to cushion the impact of the price increase on workers and vulnerable citizens.

Mr Ajaero said the current situation had exposed the vulnerability of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector to global market volatility.

He stressed the need for the government to ensure that public refineries in the country become fully operational to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.

According to him, reviving the nation’s refineries will help stabilise domestic supply and shield Nigerians from sudden price shocks.

The NLC president also called for tax relief for low-income earners and expanded social support programmes for vulnerable Nigerians.

NLC Demands FG’s Intervention Over Fuel Hike

He said such measures would help cushion the harsh economic realities confronting workers and their families.

Mr Ajaero further urged the government to ensure transparency in the management of expected oil revenue gains arising from current global developments.

He noted that any windfall from rising crude oil prices should be channelled toward improving the welfare of Nigerians.

He also called for sincere dialogue between government and organised labour to address the growing economic challenges facing workers.

ICPC Partner NGO; Takes IWD 2026 Message Of Hope To Female Inmates In Katsina

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in collaboration with the Katsina State Ministry of Women Affairs and other development partners, took the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration to the correctional centres, extending a hand of fellowship to female inmates.

The commemoration, which began on Sunday, 8th March, was themed “Give – To – Gain,” emphasising the power of collective support and reciprocity. In the spirit of the theme, the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Mr Samuel Lodam represented by Muhammad Kabir Goda, joined the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Aminu Malumfashi, to visit two correctional facilities in the state.

At the Central Correctional Centre in Unguwar Yari, the Women’s Affairs Commissioner encouraged the 23 female inmates to remain hopeful and use their current circumstances as a stepping stone for positive transformation. The Officer in Charge, CSC Habibu Kabir Ibrahim, appreciated the gesture, assuring the team of the inmates’ well-being.

The delegation proceeded to the New Correctional Centre along Jibia Road, where they were received by the Deputy Controller of Corrections, Abdullahi Mamman Saulawa. He noted that the facility’s 30 female inmates are actively engaged in developmental programmes. The Commissioner subsequently donated essential items to the women, an act that was met with profound gratitude from the inmates.

Earlier, Mr Lodam reaffirmed the ICPC’s commitment to gender equality as a cornerstone of its anti-corruption mandate. He highlighted the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP), launched in 2020, which prioritises the protection and empowerment of women across all demographics.

He further disclosed the Commission’s efforts in drafting a model sexual harassment policy for schools and establishing a special unit to prosecute sexual harassment as an act of corruption (abuse of office).

ICPC

Speaking on the significance of the day, the ICPC boss described the 2026 theme as a global call to action. He urged the public to challenge harmful stereotypes, share domestic and emotional labour, and amplify women’s voices. He stressed that true equality requires systemic change, including zero tolerance for corruption and gender discrimination in all spheres of life.

“Collective responsibility is our most powerful tool against inequality,” Mr Lodam stated. “When we all take ownership of the problem, we build a world where every woman and girl can live freely and achieve fully.”

The event concluded with a unified message: “Equality is a collective journey—let us walk it together.”

We Are Only Speaking For Nigerians, Not Inciting Them: ADC Replies APC

We are only speaking for Nigerians, not inciting them: ADC replies APC. Cites nearly 500 percent fuel price surge, and 100 percent food import increase since May 2023.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has pushed back against the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its defence of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, which accused the opposition party of inciting Nigerians against the government.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party rejected the accusation of incitement, insisting that the data showing Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to 63 percent, up from about 50 percent before the removal of petrol subsidy, and the report showing that 93 percent of Nigerians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction are not opposition talking points, but publicly available reports that highlight the human cost of the administration’s economic policies and reflect the views of ordinary Nigerians who are living in hell under the APC government.

The full statement read:

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) takes note of the ruling party, APC’s response to our earlier statement on the rising poverty figures under the Bola Tinubu-led government. But instead of addressing the clear evidence that more Nigerians are falling into poverty under this government, the ruling party has chosen to attack the opposition and dismiss the lived realities of millions of citizens. Facts, however, cannot be dismissed by press statements.

The independent report that triggered this debate shows that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to 63 percent, up from about 50 percent before the removal of petrol subsidy. This means that tens of millions of additional Nigerians have been pushed into poverty in the period since the administration’s failed economic policies were introduced. The APC claims Nigerians support its reforms, yet the data says otherwise.

Independent surveys show that 93 percent of Nigerians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. Eighty-eight percent describe the national economy as bad, while 74 percent say their personal living conditions are poor. These are not opposition talking points. They are the views of Nigerians themselves, APC members included.

The APC also insists that the hardship Nigerians are experiencing is “transient.” But the numbers tell a different story. Recent surveys show that 82 percent of Nigerians report going without enough food at least once in the past year, 82 percent have gone without medical care, 79 percent have gone without cooking fuel, 74 percent have gone without clean water, and 95 percent have gone without a cash income at some point during the year. These figures point not to temporary discomfort, but to widespread and deepening economic distress.

The APC speaks proudly of macroeconomic indicators, but Nigerians live in a real economy where fuel prices have surged by almost 500 percent, from about N255 per litre in May 2023 when Tinubu came into office, to around N1,500 per litre today in many parts of this country. This is pushing up transport costs and driving food prices beyond the reach of millions of households.

The APC claims that the money previously spent on fuel subsidy, which should amount to roughly N6.4 trillion in savings last year alone, is now being redirected to “vital sectors” such as healthcare and social development. However, it is on record that only N36 million, just about 0.02 percent of the capital budget, was actually released for capital projects in 2025 for Nigeria’s entire federal healthcare sector. Nigerians are therefore left to ask a simple question: if the subsidy savings are truly being redirected to critical sectors, where exactly is all the money going? Why are local contractors not paid? Why are the universities still poorly equipped?

The human cost of Tinubu and the APC’s failed policies is even more evident in the food and agriculture sector. Latest reports have it that out of more than 150 rice mills across Nigeria, nearly 90 have shut down operations, while the remaining mills are operating at between 30 and 70 percent of their installed capacity, largely because the Tinubu administration’s policies have encouraged import dependency.

Official data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that Nigeria’s food import bill has jumped from N3.83 trillion in 2023, when President Tinubu came into office, to N7.65 trillion today, an increase of N3.82 trillion, or about 100 percent. This shows that instead of strengthening our local agricultural sector and protecting Nigerian farmers, the policies of the APC government are undermining domestic production and putting thousands of Nigerian farmers and processors out of business.

ADC Replies APC

Economic reforms must ultimately be judged by their outcomes. When poverty rises from 50 percent to 63 percent, when nine out of ten Nigerians say the country is on the wrong path, and when millions struggle to afford basic necessities, it is clear that something is fundamentally wrong.

Nigerians do not expect economic lectures or political attacks on the opposition. They expect policies that make their lives better. The APC may dismiss these concerns, but Nigerians cannot dismiss the realities of the APC’s failures that they confront every day.
Until the APC-led Tinubu government begins to measure success by the well-being of its citizens, the gap between official claims and the lived reality of Nigerians will only continue to widen.

Signed:
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC)