Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast on the commemoration of the country’s independence, announced an interim wage rise for low income workers, and deployment of mass transit buses running on gas to ease the impact of petrol subsidy removal.

The announcement comes two days before labour unions are set to embark on an indefinite strike.

Tinubu said the decision was reached after talks with labour, business and other stakeholders. In the plan, federal government workers would get an additional 25,000 naira a month for the next six months, a marginal raise he said was necessary to avoid pushing up double-digit inflation.

That would take the minimum wage in Nigeria to 55,000 naira ($71) from 30,000 naira, although labour unions want Tinubu to reinstate the fuel subsidy and had previously demanded a minimum wage of 200,000 naira.

The Nigerian president said tax collection would be increased to improve investment in small businesses in order to boost employment, while a special investigator would soon present findings on what he called a “den of malfeasance” at the central bank.