An indefinite strike by Nigeria’s labor unions over minimum wage hike left the country in the dark after the power grid shutdown and closed airports.
The unions demand a 1500% increase in the minimum wage amid a record inflation that damaged the finances of households in Africa’s most populous country.
The strike was initiated by the country’s two largest unions, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
News agencies reported that staff at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) shut down the national grid at 2:19am (01:19 GMT).
Nigerian airline Ibom Air said it was suspending flights until further notice due to the strike while another, United Nigeria, said airports across the country had been shut down and striking workers had permitted none of its flights to operate.
The unions want the current minimum monthly wage of 30,000 naira ($20) to be increased to nearly 500,000 naira ($336). The government has offered 60,000 naira ($40).