LABOUR UNIONS IN NIGERIA KICK OFF TWO-DAY PROTESTS
ABUJA - The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) trade union umbrella yesterday began its two-day protest against "hunger and insecurity" across the country.
The protest first kicked off in Nigeria’s commercial nerve of Lagos around 09 hours before other locations followed moments later.
In a letter shared to the public before the protest started, the NLC said they want an end to hunger and insecurity in Nigeria.
“Open all food storage silos and ensure equitable distribution across the country,” one of the demands read.
They also called on the government to abandon World Bank and International Monetary Fund policies which they believe are adding to hardship in Nigeria.
Before the protest, Nigeria's Finance Minister Wale Edun told the BBC's Newsday programme that President Bola Tinubu is "listening very carefully and acting to meet the needs of Nigerians."
On Monday, the minister announced the resumption of direct cash transfers to help over 12 million vulnerable households with the spike in living costs.
During his interview, Edun asked Nigerians for patience as the government implements economic reforms.
"He (President Tinubu) is putting the country on the path to economic restoration and he is asking for patience and asks for forbearance at this particular time and is doing everything he can to assuage these pains and shorten the period for which they last," Edun told Newsday.
Nigeria's government has meanwhile approved a plan to merge, scrap, and relocate several agencies to streamline its bureaucracy and cut costs, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said on Monday.
The move followed recommendations from a 2012 report from a government-appointed committee that suggested the elimination or merger of some 220 of more than 500 government agencies.
Streamlining government bureaucracy in Nigeria has been the subject of debate for years, with critics pointing to overlapping mandates and redundancies among agencies. -