The Nigeria Labour Congress Tuesday evening suspended the two-day strike it called to protest worsening hardship in the country.
The strike was scheduled to be held on February 27 and 28. But the labour union said the objectives of the strike had been achieved on the first.
“Consequently, NEC-in-session resolved as follows: to suspend street action for the second day of the protest having achieved overwhelming success thus attained the key objectives of the 2-day protest on the first day,” NLC said in a statement.
Thousands of Nigerians rallied against soaring living costs on Tuesday as the worst economic crisis in a generation leaves many struggling to buy food.
Demonstrators hoped nationwide protests would pile pressure on the government, which brought in reforms last year that have had a devastating effect on citizens of Africa’s biggest economy.
As inflation skyrockets, many poor Nigerians have had to skip meals and give up products such as meat, eggs and milk.
Over 1,000 demonstrators marched on the National Assembly in the capital Abuja, watched over by vigilante groups and armed police.
The protesters chanted and carried signs saying “Let the poor breathe” and “End naira devaluation”.
“The government needs to wake up,” said protester Roland Bamiche, who works for a hospitality union.
“People are dying, people are suffering, people are going through hell,” the 45-year-old said. “The high cost of living is becoming unbearable.”
Since coming to office last year President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ended a fuel subsidy and currency controls, leading to a tripling of petrol prices and a spike in living costs as the naira has slid against the dollar.
The inflation rate reached a three-decade high of almost 30 percent in January, according to the national bureau of statistics.
Tinubu has called for patience to allow his reforms to take effect, saying they will help attract foreign investment, but the measures have hit Nigerians hard.
“Tinubu promised a change but now look where we are,” said activist Aghedo Kehinde Stephen in Lagos where more than 1,000 people also turned out.
“There is no food and no security in the country.”
AFP contributed to this report
