Electricity workers in the Federal Republic of Nigeria have suspended their less than a day-long industrial action following a swift intervention by the country’s Minister of Power and officials from the Ministry of Labour.
The strike, if not addressed immediately, could have resulted in a nationwide power outage. Nigeria has long struggled to ensure reliable electricity supply for homes and businesses, forcing many to leave the national grid and invest in alternative energy sources to sustain operations.
The workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), had issued an ultimatum that expired on September 23, 2025, over unresolved demands.
Following the expiration, a directive was issued on September 24, urging workers to commence strike action on September 25.
However, after extensive deliberations at a meeting held at Fraser Suites in Abuja—attended by officials of the Ministry of Power, NUEE, and SSAEAC—the parties reached a five-point resolution.
Key among the resolutions was the unions’ agreement to honour the minister’s request to review the committee’s report by October 6–7, 2025, with implementation expected to begin the same month.
It was also agreed that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and NISO would jointly evaluate the financial implications of the report and prepare an implementation plan for discussion with the minister and the unions.
In addition, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was urged to expedite the review of tariffs for both TCN and NISO to pave the way for implementation.
The unions further secured assurances that no employee would be victimised for participating in the industrial action.
Based on these commitments, NUEE and SSAEAC announced the suspension of their protest to allow time for the resolutions to be implemented.
This agreement marks a critical step in resolving tensions within the sector while safeguarding electricity operations nationwide.
The resolution read in part: “Following the ultimatum issued by the in-house unions (NUEE & SSAEAC) to TCN Management on various labour issues, which elapsed on Monday, 23rd September 2025, the Minister of Power, represented by senior directors of the ministry, intervened to apprehend the picketing exercise embarked on by the unions.
“After extensive discussions, the following agreements were reached: That the unions honour the minister’s request to review the committee’s report by 6th/7th October 2025; that TCN and NISO shall evaluate the financial implications of the report and prepare an implementation plan; and that both in-house unions will reconvene with TCN and NISO management to resolve other issues accordingly.”
Union leaders explained that their decision to suspend the strike was meant to give room for implementation of the resolutions, stressing that compliance would be closely monitored.
The unions’ demands included the immediate implementation of the National Minimum Wage, an end to the casualisation of workers, provision of working tools and operational vehicles, payment of staff salaries owed since April 2025, supply of Personal Protective Equipment last provided in 2021, settlement of retirement benefits, and resolution of issues arising from the unbundling of TCN.
NUEE Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, told local reporters that management’s repeated promises had gone unfulfilled.
“We have been making demands for a long time. The issue of consequential adjustment to the minimum wage, non-availability of working tools, promotion issues, and a whole lot of other things remain unresolved. We gave a deadline, it expired on Monday, and after our follow-up meeting on Wednesday ended in a deadlock, we had no choice but to proceed with the strike,” Igwebike said, as reported by Punch Newspaper.
Source: energynewsafrica.com
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