Blackout, Hardship Dim Easter Celebrations – Labour

Organised labour has decried the low-key 2026 Easter celebrations across Nigeria, blaming widespread hardship, persistent power outages, and the high cost of fuel for dampening the festive mood.
The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, expressed concern over what he described as a gloomy holiday period marked by darkness and economic strain, which denied many Nigerians the usual joy associated with Easter.

In a protest letter to the minister of Power, Ajaero said the continued stagnation of the nation’s electricity sector has become a major burden on workers, manufacturers, and ordinary citizens.

He criticised the structure of the power sector, alleging that while a few stakeholders benefit from the system, the majority of Nigerians are left to contend with unreliable electricity and rising costs.
“The Nigerian people are left to pay for darkness,” he stated, warning that repeated interventions, including proposed bailouts for power generation companies, fail to address the root causes of the crisis.

As part of solutions, the NLC president called for a structural overhaul of the energy sector, including the merger of the Ministries of Power and Petroleum into a unified ministry of Energy to improve coordination and accountability.

According to him, the current separation of the two ministries has created inefficiencies, particularly as gas supply, critical to thermal power generation, remains poorly managed.

“For too long, these sectors have operated in silos, while the economy suffers. A unified structure will ensure that responsibility is clearly defined and accountability enforced,” he said.

Ajaero added that such a reform would end the blame game between agencies and ensure a more coordinated approach to managing Nigeria’s energy resources.

Meanwhile, many Nigerians also lamented the subdued Easter celebrations, citing the high cost of food, transportation, and prolonged blackouts as major challenges.

A labour affiliate, Fred Egoma, said the prevailing economic conditions made it difficult for families to celebrate or travel during the holiday.

“The situation has taken away the joy of Easter for many families. Without electricity, with rising food prices and expensive transportation, people simply could not celebrate,” he said.

Similarly, labour member Tunde Ogundele attributed the rising cost of fuel and transportation to global tensions, noting that the impact has further worsened living conditions for Nigerians.

He urged the government to consider measures such as reducing fuel costs to ease transportation challenges and help households cope with the ongoing power crisis.

According to him, making fuel more affordable would enable Nigerians to power generators and mitigate the effects of poor electricity supply.

Organised labour, however, insisted that beyond temporary relief measures, urgent structural reforms in the energy and economic sectors are necessary to restore stability and improve the quality of life for Nigerians.