Nigeria is facing a severe cost-of-living crisis. The government’s partial removal of fuel subsidies and the devaluation of the naira which were intended to attract foreign investment, have left many Nigerians unable to afford food or fuel, resulting in mass protests and widespread food insecurity. While the government has acknowledged the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and develop renewable energy, it has also suggested that it will increase oil and gas production for domestic consumption and export – a move that risks delaying its energy transition. To mitigate the rising cost of living, and in response to trade union demands, the government has been providing temporary wage awards to public sector workers pending new national minimum wage setting negotiations. However, trade unions report that social dialogue on policies and their implementation is not working effectively. The National Labour Advisory Council – the statutory venue for discussing labour matters – does not meet regularly, and the government’s failure to honour agreements reached with workers on several labour issues often leads to strikes. In a worrying move in June 2024, the government declared a general strike planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress to be illegal.