By Emmanuel Kwada
In a fiery communiqué issued at the conclusion of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on February 28, 2025, in Yola, Adamawa State, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has sounded a battle cry against what it describes as an unrelenting “economic onslaught” on Nigerian workers and the downtrodden.
The meeting, which also saw the commissioning of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered Mass Transit Buses for the North East Zone, doubled as a platform to address mounting grievances over neoliberal policies, including a recent 35% hike in telecommunications tariffs and a looming electricity tariff increase.
The NEC acknowledged a hard-fought compromise brokered on February 21, 2025, with the federal government through the Joint 10-Man Committee, which scaled back a proposed 50% telecommunications tariff hike to 35%. However, the Congress minced no words in expressing its skepticism, citing a “long history of infidelity” from state actors.
This is not a victory lap but a call to vigilance. The Nigerian worker will not be taken for a ride.
With implementation slated for March 1, 2025, the NLC issued a stern warning: any deviation from the agreed terms would trigger immediate action. The National Administrative Council (NAC) has been empowered to deploy “all necessary instruments” to enforce compliance, in line with a February 10 Central Working Committee (CWC) directive.
“This is not a victory lap but a call to vigilance,” said an NLC official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The Nigerian worker will not be taken for a ride.”
The NEC reserved its harshest criticism for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Ministry of Power, accusing them of orchestrating a “sham reclassification” of electricity consumers.
Under this scheme, consumers are being forcibly migrated from lower bands to the premium Band A category—ostensibly for better service—while facing what the NLC calls “unjustified extortion.” The Congress framed this as part of a broader pattern of “economic violence” sanctioned by a ruling elite acting as “enforcers of global monopoly capital.”
With inflation soaring, wages stagnant, and living costs skyrocketing, the NLC warned that any further electricity tariff hikes would ignite nationwide protests.
“We will not stand idly by while capitalist profiteers and their state collaborators strangle the Nigerian masses,” the communiqué declared, signaling a readiness to mobilize immediately should NERC or the Ministry of Power press forward with their plans.
We will not stand idly by while capitalist profiteers and their state collaborators strangle the Nigerian masses
The NEC also turned its attention to the beleaguered Labour Party, a political entity birthed by the NLC but now mired in controversy.
Decrying the “opaqueness” and “unfortunate events” plaguing the party, the Congress directed the NAC to explore drastic measures—rebranding, mergers, or coalitions—to wrest control from “reactionary forces” and realign the party with its founding ideals.
“The Labour Party must remain a vehicle for the emancipation of workers and the oppressed, not a tool for vested interests,” the NEC asserted.
In a rousing finale, the NLC reaffirmed its “historical responsibility” to combat exploitation and oppression, urging affiliates, industrial unions, and progressive allies to prepare for “decisive mass action” against anti-people policies.
The Congress painted a stark picture of a nation teetering under “corporate plunder and neoliberal enslavement,” insisting that sustainable development remains elusive unless the dominance of “fat cats” is curbed to create socioeconomic balance.
NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero and General Secretary Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja Esq. mni signed off on the communiqué, signaling a united front as the labor movement braces for what could be a defining confrontation with state and corporate powers. For Nigeria’s working class, the message is clear: the battle lines are drawn, and the fight is far from over.
