By Divine Sam

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a four-day ultimatum to address workers’ demands, warning that failure to do so could trigger a nationwide shutdown of economic activities from October 27, 2026.

The union is demanding a reduction in the rising cost of petrol, which it says has reached as high as N1,429 per litre, as well as an upward review of the national minimum wage, currently pegged at N70,000.

The NLC’s Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, announced the ultimatum in a statement on Thursday following a meeting between labour representatives and the Minister of Labour.

According to the union, the meeting ended without any concrete commitments from the Federal Government, leaving its major demands unresolved.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has given the Federal Government until October 27 to address workers’ demands, as failure will lead to a nationwide strike,” Upah said in a statement.

Following the outcome of the meeting, the labour body has directed its affiliate unions, state councils and civil society allies to begin mobilising ahead of the proposed nationwide action.

The planned mobilisation signals a possible escalation in the dispute between organised labour and the Federal Government over the rising cost of living and workers’ welfare.

With the October 27 deadline approaching, attention is now on whether the government will respond to the union’s demands before the situation leads to a possible disruption of economic activities across the country.