Fuel price rises are deeply unpopular

The protest is against President Obasanjo's decision to remove fuel subsidies which has led to a 54% rise in fuel prices for ordinary Nigerians.

"Nothing on earth is going to stop the strike action," said Owei Lakemfa, spokesman of the main umbrella group of the Nigeria Labour Congress, which is organising the nationwide strike and mass street protests.

On Thursday, the government described the union's plans as "unwarranted, illegal and unfortunate", and said the union had not given the government the statutory 15 days of warning.

And it threatened legal action against any attempt to barricade factory gates or stop workers carrying out their normal duties.

The decision to raise petrol prices is particularly controversial in the oil-rich nation of Nigeria, where poor people say they have received almost no share in the valuable oil exports.

Queues

Ironically, Africa's largest oil producer also faces chronic fuel shortages as almost all of its own oil is tied into long-term contracts and shipped abroad.

Past attempts to raise fuel prices have also been met by riots, sometimes violent.

Riot police have already been deployed to some parts of Lagos ahead of Monday's action.

President Obasanjo has pledged to spend the 250bn naira ($1.9bn, �1.16bn) saved through axing fuel subsidies on improving health and education services.

The governor of Nigeria's central bank has defended the decision to slash fuel subsidies as an appropriate step to help the economy.