Nigerians may experience a nationwide blackout within hours as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) on Wednesday commenced an indefinite strike over unresolved labour disputes with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
In a circular signed by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, the union directed all members nationwide to immediately withdraw their services until management addresses longstanding welfare and operational grievances.
According to NUEE, the strike followed the expiration of an ultimatum issued to TCN, accusing the company of neglecting issues bordering on poor staff welfare, non-provision of essential tools, casualisation of workers, and disregard for workers’ rights.
“Unfortunately, the TCN management has decided to handle these issues with kid gloves and with a lack of regard for the hardworking staff of TCN. We cannot continue to fold our arms while our rights are violated and the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry goes down the drain,” the statement read.
The union listed its demands to include the implementation of the National Minimum Wage, payment of outstanding salaries since April 2025, provision of operational vehicles and Personal Protective Equipment last supplied in 2021, and settlement of outstanding retirement benefits.
The directive, which takes immediate effect, mandates “total compliance” from all electricity workers nationwide, sparking fears of another wave of power outages across the country.
NUEE had previously shut down operations in June 2024, crippling power supply in many states and forcing the Federal Government into emergency negotiations.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the TCN spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
The strike comes amid repeated government promises to reform the power sector, which continues to struggle with low generation, poor infrastructure, and frequent labour unrest despite years of privatisation and interventions.
