Newscenter Media News The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday warned the Federal Government to brace up for mass protests if the proposed electricity tariff hike goes forward.
In a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council ( NEC) meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, the union described the planned increase as “economic violence against the working class and broader Nigerian populace.
The NLC vowed to mobilize workers and citizens for nationwide resistance.
This threat didn’t come from the NLC alone. The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) also condemned the move and accused the government of making Nigerians “pay for darkness” without any real improvement in power supply.
The NLC expressed outrage at what it called a “sham reclassification” of electricity consumers by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
According to the union, this reclassification is a thinly veiled attempt to push more Nigerians into higher tariff bands under the guise of service improvement — a move that would only deepen economic hardship.
“The ruling elite, acting as enforcers of global monopoly capital, are determined to further deepen the misery of the Nigerian people through incessant tariff hikes, increased taxation, and relentless economic strangulation,” the statement read.
The union’s resolution was clear and uncompromising: any attempt to impose additional electricity tariffs would be met with mass resistance. It directed the National Administrative Council to begin immediate mobilization for protests, warning the government not to test the patience of the Nigerian people.
But electricity tariffs aren’t the only issue fueling this unrest.
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The NLC also voiced concern over the recent 35% increase in telecommunications tariffs.
Although the union acknowledged an agreement with the government to reduce the initial proposed hike from 50% to 35%, it remained skeptical about whether the government would keep its word.
It warned that if the new telecom tariffs — set to take effect on March 1, 2025 — are implemented contrary to agreed terms, the NLC would take decisive action.
“The Nigerian worker should not bear the brunt of corporate and government inefficiencies,” the NLC emphasized.
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 asked some salient questions: Who are the Band A consumers? Who bears the brunt of the electricity hike? The general public will be most affected. 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.
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