In protest against fuel subsidy removal, protesters stormed the National Assembly on Wednesday, pulling down the complex gate to gain entrance into the premises.

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) marched to the complex in protest against “anti-people policies” by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

On Tuesday, the NLC, in a statement by its president, Joe Ajaero, maintained that it would not back down from the nationwide protest over the increase in the petrol pump, which affected transportation and food costs.

In his inaugural speech on May 29, Mr Tinubu declared an end to the fuel subsidy regime, triggering pump prices from N145 to N540.

With the pump price at N617, transportation and food prices have skyrocketed, forcing the unions to hit the streets in protest.

This comes two days after Mr Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast, admitted that Nigerians are suffering due to the increased cost of living.

Mr Tinubu urged Nigerians to look beyond temporary pain, adding that his government has saved over a trillion naira due to fuel subsidy removal in just over two months. However, NLC has dismissed the president’s plea, mobilising its members nationwide to stage protests. 

Though the Tinubu-led administration is projected to save at least N13 trillion from subsidy reform in three years, the World Bank said,  “compensating transfers will be essential to help shield the most vulnerable Nigerian households from the initial price impacts of the subsidy reform.”