Nigerian Unions Suspend Strike After Wage Offer

Nigeria’s unions have suspended a general workers’ strike that brought economic activity to a standstill this week.

The decision comes after the government pledged to increase the national minimum wage to at least 60,000 naira ($40, £32) per month.

This falls below the $330 demanded by the unions, but is double the current monthly wage.

The strike began on Monday and led to the shutdown of the country’s electricity grid, leaving millions of people without electricity.

Government and union representatives say they will now meet every day for a week for further negotiations.

An official in the northern city of Kano told the BBC he was disappointed by the offer and wanted at least 100,000 naira ($67) a month.

“Even 100,000 naira will not be enough because prices have increased in the market, but it will be better than what we have now,” said Shittu Lawal, who works at the Ministry of Information in Kano.

“I spend 500 naira every day to go to work which is not easy. We are now going back to work and keep pushing for more,” he added.

Early on Monday, the country was plunged into darkness shortly after 2 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) as union members prevented operators from working in the country’s energy control rooms and closed electricity substations.

Many flights were also canceled at the country’s busiest airport, Lagos and in the capital Abuja, leaving passengers stranded.

Schools, offices and hospitals across the country are also closed.

This strike is the fourth since President Bola Tinubu came to power a year ago.