By John Umeh
Nigeria narrowly avoided a nationwide blackout on Thursday after electricity workers agreed to suspend their industrial action, following an intense intervention by the Federal Government.
The strike, which began over unresolved welfare and operational grievances, threatened to plunge homes and businesses into darkness, raising fears of crippling economic disruption. But after nearly 10 hours of negotiations in Abuja, labour leaders and management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reached a temporary truce.
The emergency meeting—convened by the Ministry of Power and attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Labour, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), and union representatives from the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC)—produced a set of resolutions that de-escalated the crisis.
A communiqué released after the talks confirmed that the government and the unions agreed to revisit an outstanding committee report on workers’ welfare and operational reforms by October 6–7, 2025, with implementation scheduled later in the month. In addition, TCN and NISO are to assess the financial burden of the proposals and submit an execution plan to the Minister of Power.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was also instructed to fast-track its tariff review, while all parties pledged that no worker would face retaliation for participating in the strike.
Union leaders described the outcome as a “measured victory” but warned that the strike could resume if promises are broken. “We are giving the government the benefit of the doubt, but this is not a withdrawal of our demands,” one official said.
Workers had accused TCN of neglecting their welfare, citing unpaid salaries, lack of protective gear, and unresolved issues dating back to the unbundling of the company. The unions also decried the failure to implement the national minimum wage and raised concerns about the growing casualisation of staff.
Thursday’s breakthrough has temporarily calmed nationwide fears, but the fragile peace underscores the volatility of Nigeria’s power sector—where long-running disputes between workers and management often bring the system to the brink of collapse.
