Nigerian electricity workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), have suspended their industrial action following the intervention of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu. The suspension was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Thursday by the unions, the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and representatives from the Ministry of Power.

The strike, which was initiated with a notice issued on Wednesday, aimed to address a range of long-standing staff welfare and operational grievances that the unions claimed TCN management had failed to resolve. Key demands outlined by NUEE included the non-implementation of the national minimum wage, prevalent casualisation of workers, chronic lack of working tools and materials, non-payment of staff salaries since April 2025, and a severe shortage of operational vehicles.

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Furthermore, the union cited the absence of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) since 2021, unresolved issues stemming from the unbundling of TCN, and defaulting on the payment of retirement benefits as critical concerns. The NUEE expressed frustration, stating that TCN management had handled these issues “with kid gloves and a lack of regard for the hard-working staff.”

The intervention by Minister Adelabu, who was represented by the Director of Distribution Services and the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the Federal Ministry of Power, led to a crucial meeting with TCN and the unions. The resulting MoU outlines several key resolutions designed to activate the suspension of the strike. It mandates that TCN and the Nigeria Integrated System Operator (NISO) will meet to evaluate the financial implications of a relevant report and prepare an implementation plan. The unions have agreed to a request to review this committee’s report by October 6th or 7th, 2025, with a view to considering implementation from October 2025.

Further terms of the MoU stipulate that TCN and NISO will reconvene with the honourable minister and the unions to discuss the prepared implementation plan. Additionally, the in-house unions will hold another meeting with TCN and NISO management to resolve other outstanding issues. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is tasked with expediting actions on the review of TCN and NISO tariffs to facilitate the implementation of the report. Crucially, the agreement includes a clause ensuring that no employee will be victimized on account of their participation in the industrial action. Based on these commitments, the unions collectively agreed to suspend their services.

Earlier reports indicated that the strike threatened the country’s fragile power supply. However, the President of the Nigerian Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, clarified that reported outages in parts of Abuja were due to operational challenges by distribution companies, not a national grid shutdown. Checks on power supply as of 5:30 p.m. on Thursday showed the national grid was operating normally, with total load allocation to distribution companies at 4,411MW. Major contributors to generation included Engineer Power (601MW), Kainji Hydro (473MW), and Shiroro Hydro (398MW).

The issues surrounding TCN also relate to the government’s April initiative to unbundle the company into two entities: the Independent System Operator (ISO) and the Transmission Service Provider (TSP). Under this new structure, the TSP is responsible for TCN’s physical infrastructure, including transmission towers, power lines, and substations. Efforts to contact Ndidi Mbah, the TCN General Manager for Public Affairs, for comment were unsuccessful.