Nigeria Subsidy Pain Without Gain: Labour Congress Blasts Tinubu's First Two Years

The Nigeria Labour Congress has delivered a scathing review of President Tinubu’s two years in office, calling his economic reforms painful, punishing, and disconnected from the real struggles of workers and citizens.

• NLC says Tinubu’s reforms worsened poverty, inflation, and insecurity
• Fuel subsidy removal caused prices to jump from ₦187 to over ₦600/litre
• Real wages have been “obliterated”; pension arrears remain unpaid
• The government is accused of “intimidating labour” while ignoring dialogue
• NLC says insecurity makes economic planning “like fixing curtains in a burning house.”

For workers already crushed by rising costs, President Tinubu’s reforms have offered little relief. The NLC paints a picture of economic chaos fuelled by subsidy removal, currency devaluation, and international policy playbooks that hit the poor hardest. Their frustration isn’t just about hardship, but the sense of déjà vu, policies tried and failed in the past, now repackaged as “renewed hope.” Meanwhile, insecurity eats away at public trust, leaving many asking: Who are these reforms really for?

From Abuja to the markets, frustration is rising. Will Tinubu pivot toward people-centred solutions or push ahead with policies many feel have already failed?