Telephone Call
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US Vice-President Kamala Harris holds telephone call with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressing support for his reforms as national strike looms
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday expressed support for Tinubu’s steps to reform Nigeria’s economy, including ending a fuel subsidy and unifying foreign currency exchange rates, the White House said. Her call comes as Nigerian labour unions plan to strike from Wednesday to demand a reversal in petrol price hikes and lower public school fees.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) said the strike was necessary due to government’s continued indifference to the plight of the poor.
The NLC, which represents millions of workers across most sectors of Africa’s biggest economy, including parts of the oil industry, said it will call out workers on Aug. 2 if the government does not meet its demands.
President Bola Tinubu has embarked on the country’s boldest reforms in decades, including removing a popular but costly fuel subsidy and lifting restrictions on foreign exchange trading, a gamble which he hopes will boost growth.
The government has also increased fees across public schools, further raising the cost of living. The justice ministry said in a statement that a strike would be in breach of an industrial court order stopping unions from calling out workers until the dispute is resolved.
Tinubu has been under pressure from unions to offer relief to households and small businesses after he scrapped the subsidy that kept petrol prices cheap but cost the government $10 billion last year.
The president does not have a team of ministers yet after he won disputed elections in February. He submitted a list of 28 cabinet nominees to the Senate on Thursday for confirmation.
On Wednesday, frontline doctors in public hospitals became the first public sector workers to strike over pay after the fuel subsidy removal.
Harris also condemned any efforts to seize power by force in Niger and expressed deep concern over the attempted takeover in the call with Tinubu.
Akowe with materials from Reuters/NLC
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