NASU Calls for Urgent Economic Relief
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has raised alarms over the severe economic hardship facing Nigerian workers and their families. According to reports by Vanguard News, the union highlighted soaring rates of hunger, poverty, and escalating costs for basic necessities driven by recent fuel price adjustments and inflation.
Speaking at the union’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, NASU President Dr. Makolo Hassan stated that the current economic reforms must produce tangible improvements for ordinary citizens rather than deepening inequality and financial strain.
Demand for Minimum Wage Review and Living Wage
Addressing union members, Dr. Hassan asserted that the existing ₦70,000 National Minimum Wage has become grossly inadequate in the face of skyrocketing living costs, describing it as a “slave wage.” He called on the Federal Government to initiate an immediate review of the national minimum wage and institutionalize periodic cost-of-living adjustments to shield workers from inflation.
“The true measure of any economic reform is not the applause it receives in boardrooms, but the difference it makes in the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” Dr. Hassan said, emphasizing that workers deserve a living wage that guarantees a dignified existence.
Key Demands: Food Security, Energy, and Infrastructure
The union outlined several critical areas requiring immediate government intervention:
- Food Security: Highlighting food inflation—which stood at 19.57 percent in July 2026—and projections that nearly 35 million Nigerians could face acute food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, NASU called for robust support for farmers, enhanced rural security, and investment in storage and transport infrastructure.
- Fuel Prices and Transportation: The union stressed that domestic refining must yield measurable relief for citizens. It urged the expansion of affordable public transit systems and proper evaluations of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) interventions.
- Electricity and Housing: NASU demanded accessible mortgage facilities, protections against unreasonable rent hikes, universal metering, and affordable electricity tariffs that correlate directly with reliable power supply.
Furthermore, Dr. Hassan addressed broader national challenges, including youth unemployment, industrial casualization, factory closures, healthcare funding, and general insecurity affecting farming communities. As Nigeria approaches its 2027 political transition, NASU urged organized labour to keep workers’ welfare at the forefront of national discourse.