N500 Fuel or N500,000 Salary – Civil Servants Turn Up Pressure on Tinubu, Set Sept 30 Deadline

Civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, have given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu until September 30, 2026, to urgently intervene in the worsening economic hardship confronting workers and their dependants.

• The workers demanded the immediate stabilisation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at N500 per litre, a Wage Award for public servants and an upward review of salaries and allowances across the public service.

They also called for the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage ahead of its proposed implementation in January 2027.

In a letter addressed to President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, the JNPSNC said the latest increase in fuel prices to N1,430 per litre and above in some locations had further deepened the cost-of-living crisis and eroded workers’ purchasing power.

The council warned that the worsening conditions were creating “palpable tension” among workers and Nigerians, urging the Federal Government to act before September 30 to avert further deterioration.

Workers Reject Palliatives

The JNPSNC blamed the removal of fuel subsidy three years ago for the astronomical rise in petrol prices and its multiplier effect on transportation, food and other essential commodities.

It argued that the distribution of food palliatives was not a sustainable response to the crisis.

The council said:

“It has dawned on Nigerian workers that the provision of palliatives such as bags of rice, Indomie, vegetable oil, garri, among other edible foods, is as good as weaponising Nigerians with poverty because it is a Pyrrhic intervention which is unsustainable, inaccessible to the majority of Nigeria’s population and also limited to political cronies.”

Instead, the workers urged the government to introduce a broader intervention that would reduce fuel prices and lower costs across the economy.

“Consequent upon the above, it is preferable that the Federal Government should provide an intervention that will trickle down to all Nigerians by making fuel available at an affordable amount as low as N500,” the council said.

Demand N500 Fuel

The council described the high cost of petrol as one of the major drivers of the hardship confronting Nigerian workers.

It urged the government to “look inward and stabilize the prices of fuel to an affordable minimum,” stressing that PMS remained an essential commodity with significant consequences for the wider economy.

“As a matter of reality, the current hardship being faced by the hapless Nigerian workers is caused by the astronomical increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to as much as N1,430.00, or more per one litre,” it stated.

The JNPSNC proposed the establishment of a fuel intervention fund for stakeholders in the oil sector to stabilise prices and eventually bring petrol down to N500 per litre.

It added that if the government considered the term “fuel subsidy” unacceptable, another description could be adopted for the intervention.

According to the council, such an intervention would have a multiplier effect across the economy and benefit Nigerians, including those in remote communities.

Council Backs NLC Position on Fuel Crisis

The JNPSNC also endorsed proposals attributed to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, on addressing the fuel crisis.

Ajaero was quoted as arguing that Nigeria, as an oil-producing country, possesses sufficient local refining capacity, although much of it is privately owned.

The NLC position cited by the council called on the Federal Government to sell sufficient crude oil in naira to local refineries and expand national storage capacity to strengthen energy security.

The position also argued that government intervention in times of economic emergency was justified, while raising concerns about local refineries importing crude despite Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country.

The JNPSNC said it “wholeheartedly subscribe[s] to the submission of NLC leadership” and urged the government to consider the proposals for immediate implementation.

Demand Immediate Wage Award

On workers’ remuneration, the council demanded the immediate introduction of a Wage Award covering Federal, State and Local Government employees.

“Wage Award as an urgent intervention and upward review of salaries and allowances of all serving Public Servants in the Nigeria Public Service should be provided with immediate effect to cut across all Federal, State and Local Government workers,” it said.

The JNPSNC said the Wage Award should serve as an interim measure ahead of the substantive new National Minimum Wage expected to take effect in January 2027.

It also urged President Tinubu to direct the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to commence discussions with the NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), JNPSNC and other stakeholders on the proposed wage intervention.

Workers Demand N500,000 Minimum Salary

The council proposed that the minimum salary payable to an officer on Grade Level 01, Step 1, should be N500,000 per month under the proposed 2027 salary structure.

It further demanded harmonised wages across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), with corresponding reviews encouraged at the state and local government levels.

The workers also called for periodic salary and allowance adjustments linked to inflation.

Other welfare demands include subsidised transportation and affordable housing for civil servants.

According to the council, rising inflation, fuel prices, transportation costs and the increasing cost of food, housing, healthcare and education have significantly eroded the real value of workers’ salaries.

“Many workers are now struggling to meet basic financial obligations, which has inevitably affected the morale, motivation, and overall productivity within the Public Service,” it said.

Push for 2027 Minimum Wage Talks

The JNPSNC demanded the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate the new National Minimum Wage, arguing that early commencement of negotiations would prevent delays in implementation.

“There is urgent need to immediately set up committee for the negotiation of New National Minimum Wage to accelerate the commencement of the New National Minimum Wage before 2027 so that it can take effect from January, 2027,” the council stated.

The workers said improved remuneration was necessary to restore purchasing power, enhance productivity and service delivery, promote accountability and strengthen industrial peace.

The council described public servants as the “backbone of governance and national development” and the “live wire of any administration.”

It said workers were responsible for policy formulation, implementation of government programmes and delivery of essential public services.

Independence Day Address

The JNPSNC urged President Tinubu to address the concerns raised by workers in his forthcoming Independence Day broadcast.

“It is the high expectations of Nigerian workers and all patriotic Nigerians that your Independence Day broadcast will attend to our sincere suggestions in order to bring succour and life back to all dying Nigerians,” the council said.

The workers said they expected the Federal Government to act on their demands on or before Wednesday, September 30, 2026, warning that failure to address the economic pressures facing workers could further heighten tension across the country.