Public servants begin 3-day warning strike over high petrol costs

Civil servants across federal, state, and local governments have commenced a three-day warning strike over the federal government’s refusal to lower petrol prices to N500 per litre.

Organized by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), the industrial action began at midnight on October 2, 2026, and is set to continue until October 4.

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In an official directive, Gbenga Olowoyo, JNPSNC national secretary instructed all affiliated labor unions to enforce strict compliance following the expiration of a September 30 deadline previously set for the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The dispute follows a formal letter dispatched to the presidency on September 21, in which labor representatives demanded immediate relief from rising fuel costs and called for wage talks to establish a minimum monthly pay of N500,000 starting in 2027.

With union leaders citing severe financial strain and declining living standards among public sector employees, the warning strike serves as a decisive move to force action on worker welfare and economic relief.

Ngozi Ekugo holds an MSc in Management from the University of Hertfordshire. She is also an alumna of University of Lagos, Queen’s College, and an Associate Member of CIPM. Her experience includes a brief exposure in the Human Capital Management division of Goldman Sachs in London. She draws on her cross-sector experience to cover employment trends, career opportunities and international mobility.