Public servants across Nigeria have been directed to embark on a three-day warning strike from Friday, October 2, to Sunday, October 4, 2026, over worsening economic conditions and demands for improved welfare.
The directive was issued by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council in a circular dated October 1 and signed by its National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga.
The council ordered its national and state leaderships to immediately mobilise workers for the industrial action, which is scheduled to begin at midnight on Friday and end on Sunday.
It said the decision followed the Federal Government’s failure to address demands earlier presented to President Bola Tinubu in a letter dated September 21, 2026.
According to the council, public servants in the federal, state and local government services are expected to participate in the warning strike, citing the impact of the economic situation on workers, their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians.
The labour body said the current economic and psychological pressures had become increasingly difficult for workers to withstand, urging its leaders to commence mobilisation without delay.
The planned action is linked to demands for measures to ease the rising cost of living, including a reduction in petrol prices, payment of a wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The council had reportedly demanded that the pump price of petrol be reduced to N500 per litre, while also calling for an immediate wage award and the establishment of a tripartite committee to negotiate a new minimum wage.
The demands come amid sustained concerns over rising prices of food, transportation and other essential goods, which have affected workers’ purchasing power.
The council urged its members to ensure that the strike notice reached workers nationwide and expressed confidence that the industrial action would achieve its intended objective.