NLC Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Collapsing Electricity Grid
The Nigeria Labour Congress has threatened nationwide industrial action over persistent collapses of the country’s electricity grid, accusing the privatised power sector of delivering “darkness, exploitation and economic pain” more than a decade after unbundling.
Addressing the annual conference of women and youth organized by the National Union of Electricity Employees in Abuja on Sunday, NLC President Joe Ajaero issued a final warning to authorities and power operators, insisting that organised labour would resist further tariff increases or policies that worsen hardship without improving supply.
Ajaero lamented that electricity generation remains between 4,000 and 5,000 megawatts, nearly the same level as before privatisation, despite rising population and industrial demand.
He described the situation as “shameful” and called for a comprehensive review of the sector.
The NLC president criticized the classification of consumers into Bands A, B, and C as institutionalized extortion, adding that Band A consumers pay exorbitantly while still receiving unreliable supply. He accused private investors of acquiring generation and distribution companies through debt rather than personal capital, forcing Nigerians to shoulder the cost through high tariffs.
He also condemned reports of a planned bailout for generation companies, arguing that public funds should not enrich private investors who have failed to deliver stable power. Ajaero called for a return to a social service model for electricity, emphasizing that only the state can handle the heavy capital investment and long-term planning required.
The NLC president urged the government to convene a national stakeholders’ summit including workers, unions, manufacturers, and experts to develop a roadmap for affordable and stable electricity, the reversal of the privatisation framework, and increased public investment in power infrastructure.
Ajaero concluded that Nigerians cannot continue to “pay for darkness” and stressed that electricity must be returned to the people to ensure both accessibility and affordability.
