NLC Threatens Nationwide Showdown Over Power Sector Failures
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened a nationwide industrial action over what it described as “institutionalised extortion” in the power sector, citing persistent grid collapses and stagnant electricity generation more than a decade after privatisation.
Speaking in Abuja at the National Union of Electricity Employees’ conference, NLC President Joe Ajaero issued a “final warning” to authorities and operators, vowing to resist further tariff hikes or policies that worsen hardship without improving supply.
He lamented that generation remains stuck between 4,000–5,000MW, virtually unchanged since the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, despite rising demand.
“Instead of progress, we witness regression. Instead of light, we have darkness,” Ajaero said.
The NLC condemned the classification of consumers into Bands A, B, and C, describing it as a backdoor tariff hike.
“Banding remains the institutionalisation of extortion. Band A consumers pay through their noses but still receive epileptic supply. This government is asking Nigerians to pay for darkness,” Ajaero declared.
He also criticised the Federal Government’s proposed ₦3 trillion bailout for generation companies, calling it a “phantom subsidy” and a clandestine move to enrich failed investors ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Every kobo of the treasury belongs to the workers and people of Nigeria,” he said.
The NLC demanded a reversal of privatisation, insisting that electricity must be treated as a social service.
“Global examples show that no nation has successfully run its electricity sector purely as a profit-driven enterprise without inflicting hardship,” Ajaero argued.
The union called for a National Stakeholders’ Summit to draft a “People’s Power Roadmap” that prioritises affordable, stable electricity, service-reflective tariffs, and public investment in generation and transmission infrastructure.
While government reforms, including a $2.5bn plan to settle debts and upgrade infrastructure, are underway, the NLC warned it is prepared to mobilise workers and citizens to resist further exploitation, declaring:
“The Nigerian people cannot continue to pay for darkness. Power must be returned to the people.”
