The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticized the Federal Government for implementing economic policies influenced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, arguing that subsidy removal and increased tariffs are worsening the financial struggles of Nigerians.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme on Thursday, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah condemned what he described as “stupid taxes” imposed on citizens. “They keep on emasculating us through stupid taxes. It will come to a point when people can pay but they won’t pay,” Upah stated.
The labour union rejected the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) proposal to increase telecom tariffs by 50%, including a 5% hike in data and call costs. Upah reaffirmed that the NLC would proceed with its planned nationwide protest on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, to resist the tariff hike.
“This rally is to halt this mindless tariff increase. And if by any chance there has to be an increase at all, 5% is more reasonable given the economic hardship already in place. But a 50% increase? It is not going to work,” Upah insisted.
He lamented the ripple effects of economic policies on Nigerians, saying, “The manufacturers are groaning, the middle-class people are groaning. The ordinary Nigerians on the streets can’t even afford to turn on the lights in their sitting rooms. When taxes are low, more people pay than when you have high taxes.”
Mounting Economic Hardship
The IMF and World Bank have repeatedly urged Nigeria to remove fuel subsidies and float the naira to stabilize the economy. President Bola Tinubu followed through with these recommendations immediately after his inauguration in May 2023. As a result, petrol prices soared from under N200 per litre to over N1,100, while the naira depreciated from N700/$ to N1,600/$.
These policy shifts have triggered severe inflation, with food and commodity prices skyrocketing, plunging Nigerians into one of the worst cost-of-living crises in the country’s history.
With growing discontent, the NLC has vowed to continue its fight against economic policies that burden citizens, setting the stage for a showdown with the government in the coming weeks.
