The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed deep concern over the continued poor power supply in the country, highlighting its detrimental effects on business operations and national development. Despite the privatization of the power sector over a decade ago, initiated during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the NLC notes that the situation has not improved.
During the 13th quadrennial national delegates conference of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria in Abuja, NLC President Joe Ajaero emphasized the urgent need for policy changes to address the challenges facing the power sector. Ajaero lamented the disparity between increasing tariffs and declining power supply, stressing the necessity of intervention to sustain the sector’s viability and support industrialization efforts.
Ajaero also raised concerns about the escalating inflation rate in the country, which currently stands at 31.70 percent. He pointed out that even significant increases in the national minimum wage would not adequately address workers’ financial needs in the face of such high inflation. He emphasized the importance of addressing inflation and exchange rate instability in determining a realistic minimum wage that would maintain its value over time.
Furthermore, the NLC president highlighted the deteriorating state of the textile industry, underscoring its critical role in national economic development. Despite government promises to revitalize the sector, Ajaero noted that the textile industry’s fortunes had not improved significantly, posing further challenges to Nigeria’s economic growth and industrialization efforts.