Organized labour unions have initiated a nationwide strike today to demand a new national minimum wage despite federal government appeals.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared the strike after failed negotiations with government representatives on increasing the minimum wage.

Talks collapsed last Friday when the government’s offer to raise the minimum wage from N57,000 to N60,000 was rejected by labour unions, who insist on a N494,000 minimum to match rising living costs. Unions such as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have mobilized for the strike.

Efforts by the National Assembly to mediate were unsuccessful. Attorney General Prince Lateef Fagbemi criticized the strike as “premature, ineffectual, and illegal,” citing ongoing negotiations and a National Industrial Court order barring such action. He urged unions to return to the negotiation table.