The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene in rising petrol prices, warning that the development is worsening poverty and increasing the cost of living nationwide.

NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday, titled “Save the Situation Now.”

Ajaero said petrol now sells for about N1,430 per litre in major cities, with prices higher in less accessible areas, warning that rising transportation costs would trigger further increases in food, school fees, rent and other household expenses.

He said although the latest surge was linked to renewed conflict in the Gulf, Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country and its local refining capacity should provide a buffer against external shocks.

The NLC urged the government to introduce immediate wage awards, sell sufficient crude oil in naira to local refineries and expand national fuel storage capacity to strengthen energy security and cushion the impact on citizens.

Ajaero also called for government subsidies or other interventions, particularly during the current emergency, arguing that the government’s additional earnings from crude prices, which he estimated at $35 to $40 per barrel above the budget benchmark, provided room for such measures.

He further criticised the importation of crude by local refineries, saying it undermined the purpose of developing domestic refining capacity.

Ajaero warned that the government could not afford to allow marketers to impose further hardship on Nigerians in the name of deregulation, adding that labour would continue to speak out and act where necessary.