The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has asked Nigerian workers, willing citizens to boycott the services of MTN, Airtel and GLO services from today, February 13, 2025.

The umbrella labour body also asked telecommunication companies to reverse the implementation of tariff hike until a committee set up by the Federal Government completes its work.

The Congress said that beginning from Thursday, Nigerian workers and other willing citizens should boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM until the end of February 2025.

The NLC took the decision at the end of its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Lokoja, Kogi State.

This was contained in a communique signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the Congress directed all workers and citizens to suspend the purchase of Data from these companies which has also become one of their greatest tools for exploiting Nigerian citizens.

The communique reads: “CWC demands an immediate reversal of the tariff hike, which took effect today, and insists that the companies revert to the previous tariff until the committee completes its deliberations and reaches a conclusive agreement.

As a first step in resisting this arbitrary tariff hike, the CWC has directed that, beginning Thursday, February 13, 2025, Nigerian workers and other willing citizens shall boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM until the end of February 2025.

All workers and citizens are urged to suspend the purchase of Data from these companies which has also become one of their greatest tools for exploiting Nigerian citizens.

We also demand the repatriation of all funds siphoned out of the country by these companies.

“If the telecommunications companies fail to revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, a total shutdown of their operations nationwide will commence from March 1, 2025.”

The NLC directed its affiliates to commence immediate sensitisation and mobilisation of their members and the general public within their jurisdictions.

“All NLC Affiliate Unions are requested to mobilize their members across the country to observe electronic silence during the designated hours.

“We implore all of our Civil society allies and other interested stakeholders are to join us in making this action effective,” the Congress said.

On the tax reform bills, the NLC said: “The CWC also reviewed the ongoing discussions around the Tax Reform Bills being considered by the government. While acknowledging the need for fiscal reforms, the Congress insists that any tax policies must be designed to alleviate the burdens on Nigerian workers and not worsen the existing economic hardship. The NLC shall engage with relevant authorities to ensure that tax reforms are fair, equitable, and worker-friendly,” it said.

It added: “The Nigeria Labour Congress remains committed to defending the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers and citizens. The CWC calls on all Nigerians to unite in this struggle against exploitative economic policies and to actively participate in the outlined actions to demand justice and fairness in telecommunications, taxation, and transportation policies.”

Finally, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has restored the collapsed national grid.

TCN said power has been restored to parts of Nigeria affected by the blackout on Wednesday morning.

The spokesperson for TCN, Ndidi Mbah, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to TCN, Wednesday’s outage was caused by the Omotosho–Ikeja West 330-kilovolt transmission line tripping at the Omotosho end at around 11:34 am.

TCN confirmed that the incident affected electricity supply to Lagos, Abuja, and Osogbo.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) wishes to clarify that at 11:34 hours today, the Omotosho–Ikeja West 330kV transmission line tripped at the Omotosho end. At the time, the Benin–Egbin 330kV line was on a scheduled outage for mechanical line tracing.

“The tripping resulted in a cascaded outage affecting the Lagos, Abuja, and Osogbo axes. However, all other parts of the grid remained unaffected.

The line has been successfully restored, and normal power supply has been fully restored to the affected areas.

“We assure Nigerians of our commitment to the efficient delivery of bulk power across the nation as we continue to implement measures to enhance the stability of the national grid,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, parts of Abuja have yet to receive supply from Abuja Electricity Distribution Company as of the time of filing this report.

Recall that the National Grid experienced a disturbance on Wednesday, plunging parts of Nigeria into darkness.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has hailed contractors, expressing satisfaction with the pace of work on various road construction projects in Abuja, assuring that they will be completed on schedule.

Speaking during an inspection tour of ongoing projects, Wike praised the commitment of contractors such as CGC and Julius Berger, noting that the visible progress underscores the benefits of proper fund management and engaging competent firms.

“I must say that I am quite impressed with the speed of work by the contractors, particularly those handling road construction. As we have seen, they are delivering at an impressive pace. By the grace of God, we will meet the May 2025 completion deadline as promised,” Wike stated.

The minister also commended the judiciary for the remarkable progress on the FCT High Court complex, emphasizing that prudent financial management ensures timely execution of critical projects.

“When contractors see that funds are being disbursed as expected, they put in their best. This is why I insist on awarding contracts to only competent firms with the right equipment and expertise,” he added.

Wike lauded the cooperation of local communities, acknowledging their support in ensuring that construction work proceeds without disruption. He noted that compensation for affected persons had already been processed, with settlement efforts nearing completion.

On waste management, the minister reiterated his commitment to overhauling the system, particularly in satellite towns where refuse disposal remains a major concern. He revealed that the FCT Administration is finalizing the selection of new contractors to take over waste collection and disposal.

“I was not impressed with the previous waste contractors, especially in the satellite towns. But we are almost done with selecting new, competent firms that can deliver.

” In the next week, this process should be completed, and we will begin to see improvements,” Wike assured.

The minister emphasized that the FCT Administration will not tolerate indiscriminate waste disposal, stressing that necessary measures will be put in place to ensure a cleaner city.

With the ongoing infrastructure push and planned reforms, Wike reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to transform Abuja into a model capital city with world-class road networks and efficient municipal services.