NLC Rejects N6 Trillion Power Bailout, Seeks Merger of Petroleum, Power Ministries

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the proposed N6 trillion bailout for power generation companies, stating that repeated financial interventions have failed to improve electricity supply across the country.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, NLC President Joe Ajaero described the proposed bailout as a symptom of deep structural failures in the power sector.

“We cannot continue to deploy public funds to sustain a fundamentally flawed system, while ordinary citizens bear the burden of inefficiency through high tariffs and persistent outages,” Ajaero said.

He urged the Federal Government to merge the Ministries of Petroleum and Power into a single Ministry of Energy to enhance coordination. According to him, the current separation of the sectors has created inefficiencies, particularly in gas supply for thermal power generation.

The NLC president also called for an immediate halt to the proposed bailout, insisting that public funds should not be used to sustain what he described as failed private investments.

He further stressed that electricity must be treated as a social service and a fundamental right, rather than a profit-driven commodity, if Nigeria is to achieve affordable and reliable power supply.

“The current framework places an undue burden on citizens, and reform must prioritise service delivery, public interest and the overall welfare of Nigerian workers,” Ajaero added.

He called on the government to convene a stakeholders’ summit to develop a people-centred roadmap for the power sector, emphasising the need for policies that promote public interest, energy security, and improved welfare for Nigerians.