Nigeria’s electricity sector was spared a nationwide shutdown on Thursday night as two major unions suspended their planned strike following a deal with the Federal Government.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) had threatened to down tools over unresolved issues with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), including non-implementation of the national minimum wage and operational challenges.
After hours of negotiations in Abuja with representatives of the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, and the Minister of Labour, the unions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) alongside officials of TCN, the National Independent System Operator (NISO), and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
According to the MoU, a standing committee report on workers’ welfare and other issues will be reviewed between October 6 and 7, with implementation scheduled to begin later in the month. TCN and NISO are also mandated to evaluate the financial implications of the report and submit an implementation plan to the minister and the unions.
In addition, NERC will fast-track tariff reviews for TCN and NISO to support the execution of the committee’s recommendations, while both unions will reconvene with management to resolve other pending matters.
The agreement further assured workers that no employee would face victimisation for participating in the planned action.
Following the resolutions, the electricity unions announced the suspension of their strike, pledging to monitor compliance with the commitments reached.
