Public servants across Nigeria have begun a three day warning strike following the federal government’s failure to meet demands by workers over petrol prices and wages.
The industrial action is being led by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), which directed its affiliated unions to ensure full compliance with the strike. The council announced the action in a circular issued on Thursday by Gbenga Olowoyo, its national secretary and general secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union.
According to the circular, the strike began at midnight on Friday, October 2, and will continue until Sunday, October 4, 2026. The directive covers public servants working for the federal, state and local governments. The council had earlier given the federal government an ultimatum to address what it described as the growing economic pressure facing workers and their families.
Among its demands is a reduction in the price of petrol to N500 per litre. The council also wants negotiations to begin for a new national minimum wage of at least N500,000 from 2027. The workers had communicated their demands to President Bola Tinubu in a letter dated September 21, 2026. The council subsequently warned that workers would begin industrial action if the government failed to respond to the demands.
Olowoyo said the September 30 deadline given to the government remained valid, particularly over the rising cost of petrol and the need to begin discussions on a new national minimum wage. The council had also expected the president to address the issues in his Independence Day address to Nigerians. However, the workers said the government’s failure to meet their requests left them with no option but to proceed with the warning strike.
In its latest directive, the JNPSNC called on all public servants across the three tiers of government to participate in the action. The council said workers and their dependants were facing increasing economic pressure, while vulnerable Nigerians were also struggling with the effects of the current cost of living. The union described the situation as increasingly difficult for workers and said the three day action was necessary to draw attention to their concerns.
The warning strike is expected to affect government offices and public services during the period of the action. The development comes amid continued concerns over the cost of petrol and broader economic pressures on households. The JNPSNC said the strike would remain in effect through Sunday, October 4, unless there is a development that addresses the issues raised by the workers.
The council urged its affiliate unions and public servants to mobilise for the action and ensure that the directive was observed across the country.
