Public servants across Nigeria have commenced a three-day warning strike over the federal government’s failure to address demands for a reduction in petrol prices and improved wages.
The industrial action was declared by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), which directed its affiliate unions to ensure full compliance with the strike.
The directive was contained in a circular issued on Thursday by Gbenga Olowoyo, national secretary of the JNPSNC and general secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), to national presidents and general secretaries as well as state chairmen and secretaries of affiliate unions.
The circular, titled “Declaration of Three Day Warning Strike; Action with Immediate Effect,” followed an earlier ultimatum issued to the federal government over the rising cost of petrol and workers’ wage concerns.
On Tuesday, the council had threatened to commence industrial action if the government failed to reduce the price of petrol to N500 per litre and approve a new wage award for workers.
Olowoyo had said the September 30 deadline given to the government remained sacrosanct, adding that the council had mobilised workers for the strike if President Bola Tinubu failed to announce a significant reduction in petrol prices and a new national minimum wage in his Independence Day address.
According to Olowoyo, the council had written to Tinubu on September 21 outlining three demands, including the commencement of negotiations for a national minimum wage of no less than N500,000 from 2027 and a reduction in the petrol price to N500 per litre.
In Thursday’s circular, Olowoyo said the president’s failure to address the demands left the unions with no option but to proceed with the planned industrial action.
“Please, recall the position of the National leadership of JNPSNC that if Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Tinubu refuses to address our requests as contained in the letter to his exalted office (dated September 21, 2026), the three day warning strike earlier scheduled shall commence immediately,” the circular reads.
“Consequent upon the above, the strike shall start with effect from midnight of Friday, October 2, 2026, to Sunday, October 4, 2026.
“In the same vein, all public servants in the services of federal, state and local governments are to join the warning strike because an injury to one is an injury to all, most especially all workers, their dependants, vulnerable and hapless Nigerians are groaning terribly under the present economic hardship.
“The economic and mental hardships are becoming unbearable and frustrating. The time to act and mobilise workers for the three days warning strike is now. Please, disseminate the information. Surely, there is victory for us.”
The three-day warning strike is scheduled to run from midnight on Friday, October 2, to Sunday, October 4, 2026.
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