Nigerian unions suspend general strike

Nigerian trade unions have suspended a general strike that had brought the country to a standstill.

They made this decision after the government promised to raise the minimum wage to at least 60,000 naira (£32) a month.

That’s double the current minimum wage, but less than the £260 unions had demanded.

Union and government negotiators said they would meet in the next seven days to negotiate a permanent agreement.

But Shittu Lawal, an official in the northern Canadian city of Kano, told the BBC he was disappointed by the offer.

He said he wanted about 100,000 naira (£53) a month. Even that “will not be enough as prices have gone up in the market,” Mr Lawal added, “but it will be better than what we have now.”

This week’s strike plunged the country into darkness as union members shut down electrical substations.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled at Lagos airport, Nigeria’s busiest airport, and in the capital Abuja.

Hospitals, schools and offices were also closed across the country.

The unions warned that they would not hesitate to resume the general strike in seven days if negotiations did not make progress.