Nigerian unions suspend strike after wage offer

Nigeria’s unions have suspended a general strike by workers that brought economic activity to a standstill this week.

The decision came after the government promised to raise the national minimum wage to at least 60,000 naira ($40, £32) a month.

Although this is less than the $330 demanded by the unions, it is double the current monthly wage.

The strike began on Monday and led to the shutdown of the country’s power grid, leaving millions of people without electricity.

Government and union representatives said they would now meet daily for a week to continue negotiations in the hope of finding a lasting solution.

An official in the northern Chinese city of Kano told the BBC he was disappointed with the offer and wanted at least 100,000 naira ($67) a month.

“Even 100,000 naira will not be enough because prices have gone up in the market, but it will be better than what we have now,” said Shittu Lawal, who works at the Ministry of Information in Kano.

“I spend 500 naira every day to get to work, which is not easy. We will now go back to work and continue to push for more,” he added.

Early on Monday, the country was plunged into darkness shortly after 2:00 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) as union members prevented operators of the country’s electricity control rooms from working and shut down substations.

Numerous flights were also cancelled at the country’s busiest airport in Lagos and in the capital Abuja, leaving many passengers stranded.

Schools, offices and hospitals were also closed across the country.

This strike is the fourth since President Bola Tinubu came to power a year ago.

His government has eliminated a subsidy that kept fuel prices low and ended the policy of pegging the naira to the US dollar.

The abolition of fuel subsidies and the devaluation of the naira have led to the worst economic crisis in a generation.

The unions have announced that they will not hesitate to strike again in seven days if negotiations are unsuccessful.

More BBC stories on the Nigerian economy:

Power outages across Nigeria due to workers’ strike

Is Nigeria on the right track after one year of Tinubu?

Cost of living in Nigeria: People feed on “disposable rice”

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at Subscribe to

BBC Africa Podcasts