Possible Blackout in Nigeria as Electricity Workers Threaten Strike, Present Demands to FG
- Electricity workers are threatening to embark on a strike if the government fails to meet their demands
- The power minister met with electricity unions and TCN management in Abuja to address their grievances
- The minister said government revenue challenges make the workers' demands unrealistic
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
Electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), as well as staff of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), are threatening to embark on a strike over salary demands.
This poses a serious risk to the power supply for millions of Nigerians, as such strike actions in the past had resulted in a nationwide blackout.
Source: Getty Images
Minister of power meets electricity workers
Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has met with labour unions and the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Abuja, according to officials present at the engagement.
Adelabu appealed to electricity sector unions to moderate their demands for salary and allowance increases amid renewed threats of industrial action, The Sun reported.
Addressing union leaders, the minister urged them to consider the strategic importance of the power sector to Nigeria’s economy, as well as the broader efforts being made by the federal government to improve workers’ welfare across the country.
Be realistic with demands, Adelabu tells workers
He clarified that the government was not opposed to improved remuneration for electricity workers but stressed that Nigeria’s current revenue constraints required restraint and realism in wage negotiations.
According to Adelabu, workers deserve fair compensation to remain motivated and productive, but excessive personnel costs could threaten the financial stability of TCN and the sustainability of its operations.
The minister also appealed to the unions to maintain industrial harmony, warning against frequent actions such as locking management out of offices, which he said could disrupt operations and undermine national development.
He explained that acceding to all demands would result in personnel costs consuming the company’s entire earnings, a situation he described as unsustainable and damaging to both the organisation and its employees.
Workers demand 100% salary increase
In a statement, NUEE and SSAEAC confirmed that they are demanding a 100% increase in salaries and allowances.
Adelabu noted that meeting such demands would raise TCN’s monthly wage bill to about N4 billion, a figure he said the company cannot support.
The meeting was attended by the Managing Director of TCN, Engineer Abdul-Aziz Sule, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Independent System Operator (NISO), Engineer Mohammed Bello, alongside other senior management officials. Union representatives included Opaluwa Eleojo and Dennis Ufene for NUEE, as well as John Okoro and Solomon Kigbu for SSAEAC.
Source: Twitter
Nigerians paid more electricity bills
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigerians paid more electricity bills in six months despite poor supply from electricity distribution companies (DisCos), according to an analysis by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
DisCos in Nigeria reportedly generated a total of N1.13 trillion from customers between April and September 2025, despite widespread complaints over poor electricity supply and frequent power outages across the country.
The figures are contained in detailed monthly performance data released by the NERC, covering the second and third quarters of 2025.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
