The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Federal Government to urgently review the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, saying the current pump price of about N1,500 per litre is worsening the country’s cost-of-living crisis.

The group also backed the demand by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council for a reduction in the price of petrol to N500 per litre, describing it as a reflection of the economic pressure facing Nigerian workers and their families.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, yesterday, HURIWA said the proposed October 2 warning strike by public servants should serve as a warning to the Federal Government that workers could no longer cope with high fuel prices, rising transportation costs, soaring food prices and declining purchasing power.

The association said the workers had threatened a three-day warning strike from October 2 if the government failed to address their demands, including the reduction of petrol prices to N500 per litre and payment of a wage award.
The workers are also demanding the immediate constitution of a tripartite committee to commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to become due in 2027.

HURIWA urged the government to treat the workers’ demands as an urgent national economic issue rather than merely a labour dispute.

It called for a comprehensive review of the petroleum pricing regime, including crude oil supply arrangements, domestic refining capacity, importation costs, taxes, distribution margins and other factors contributing to the pump price of petrol.

According to the association, neither the Federal Government, Dangote Refinery nor petroleum importers should be allowed to shift the burden of an inefficient or expensive petroleum market entirely onto consumers.

HURIWA also demanded greater transparency in the determination of petrol prices, urging relevant regulatory authorities to make the components of the current pump price publicly available.

The group said Nigerians had the right to understand why they were paying about N1,500 per litre for petrol despite Nigeria being a major crude oil-producing country and the emergence of domestic refining capacity.

It further called for measures to cushion the impact of high fuel prices, including targeted relief for workers and vulnerable households, improved public transportation and urgent interventions to reduce transportation and food costs.

HURIWA warned that continued economic pressure could further erode workers’ purchasing power and deepen hardship across the country.

It also urged Nigerians to unite peacefully in demanding a reduction in the price of petrol, stressing that any mobilisation must remain lawful and non-violent, with citizens exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression.

HURIWA said the Federal Government should urgently address the concerns of workers and millions of low-income Nigerians who, it said, were struggling to cope with the rising cost of essential goods and services.

The association maintained that Nigerians deserved an economy where wages could reasonably support basic living costs, particularly transportation and food.