Nigerian Public Servants Begin Nationwide Three-Day Warning Strike Over Petrol Price, Wage Demands

Public service workers under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have declared a three-day nationwide warning strike from October 2 to 4, 2026, citing worsening economic and mental hardship affecting workers and their dependants. The council directed its national and state leaders to mobilise members for the industrial action, which commenced at midnight on Friday, October 2, and is scheduled to run through Sunday, October 4.

The directive was contained in a circular dated October 1, 2026, and signed by JNPSNC National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga, who is also General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union. The council said the decision followed the Federal Government’s alleged failure to address demands it had earlier submitted to President Bola Tinubu in a letter dated September 21, 2026.

According to reports, the unions had on September 29 warned that failure to address their demands by September 30 would trigger the strike, and had also expected President Tinubu’s October 1 Independence Day address to offer some form of relief. With no resolution announced in the President’s “From Reform to Prosperity” broadcast, the JNPSNC proceeded with the planned action.

The council said economic and mental pressures on workers had become “increasingly difficult, frustrating and unbearable,” and that the strike was aimed at drawing attention to the worsening conditions confronting workers, their dependants and other vulnerable Nigerians.

Part of the circular read: “Please, recall the position of the National leadership of Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council that if Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu refuses to address our requests as contained in the letter to his exalted office (dated 21st September, 2026), the three day warning strike earlier scheduled shall commence immediately.”

It continued: “Consequent upon the above, the strike shall start with effect from midnight of Friday 2nd October, 2026 to Sunday October 4th, 2026.” The council also urged solidarity across all cadres, stating that “an injury to one is an injury to all,” and called on its leadership nationwide to mobilise immediately, declaring: “The time to act and mobilise workers for the three days warning strike is now.”

The JNPSNC comprises eight public-sector unions, including the Nigeria Civil Service Union, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives. The strike is expected to affect federal, state and local government workers across ministries, departments and agencies nationwide, as all three tiers of government have been called upon to join the action.

As of the time of filing, there had been no official response from the Federal Government regarding the ongoing industrial action or the council’s underlying demands.