Nigeria Labour Congress Rejects Petrol Price Hike, Demands Better Crude Supply
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its discontent over the recent hike in petrol prices, calling it 'avoidable and unacceptable'. The increase comes as Nigerians continue to grapple with the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy in 2023.
The NLC's acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, questioned why the Federal Government had not done more to ensure that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery receives sufficient supplies of Nigerian crude. He argued that the latest price increase was unjustifiable given the decline in international oil prices and Nigeria's expanding domestic refining capacity.
The NLC warned that the increase would further worsen the economic challenges facing ordinary Nigerians, especially workers and low-income households already burdened by rising transportation, food, and other living costs. The labour leader stated that the benefits of increased crude production and expanded refining capacity should reach ordinary Nigerians rather than remaining concentrated among players in the petroleum industry.
The Dangote refinery has repeatedly sought greater access to locally produced crude at competitive prices as it works to expand output. Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that oil producers offered 68.1 million barrels of crude to the Dangote refinery in the second quarter of 2026, compared with its requirement of 63 million barrels.