Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets in the largest city of Lagos on Wednesday, kicking off a 16-day nationwide protest against a recent hike in fuel prices in Africa's top oil producer.

The protesters, organized by the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and its allies, marched along major streets in the Lagos state capital, Ikeja, carrying colorful banners reading "Make our refineries work!!!" with incessant shouts, cheers and applause of support from bystanders.

Several well-known figures, including Nobel literature laureate Wole Soyinka, who was detained for several hours by the police during an anti-fuel price hike protest last year, and NLC President Adams Oshiomhole, were leading the demonstration.

Unlike similar mass rallies before, the protest was peaceful but also small, compared with the city's ten million strong population. Police were seen everywhere and a police helicopter circled over the march at times.

Wednesday's newspapers reported that two activists were arrested ahead of the march but police spokesman Bode Ojajuni denied the accusation at the venue of the rally, saying it's a " lie."

After a seven-hour march, the protesters arrived in their destination, the headquarters of the Lagos state government, where they submitted a letter of protest to Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu.

"This is only the first step ... the next time the gather will in Aso Rock (the presidency). People should put aside short-time gain for long-term sustainable solutions," Soyinka told the governor, amid a storm of applause calling him "Our Professor!"

The letter of protest is expected to be then delivered to President Olusegun Obasanjo by Tinubu.

"Mr. President, Nigerians are angry, hungry, frustrated and suffused in the unfavorable consequences of deregulation and other macroeconomic policies," said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Xinhua.

"This situation demands sound macroeconomic fundamentals, compassion and responsiveness to the worsening human condition that puts Nigeria in the bottom of the world human development ranking," it said.

"The starting point it to revert to the old prices and commence constructive discussions with organized labor and civil society regarding the imperative of mitigating the hardships already inflicted on Nigerians."

Last month, Nigeria's petrol price went up from around 50 naira (38 US cents) to 65 naira (49 cents) per liter, the seventh increase in fuel prices since Obasanjo took office in 1999 but still low compared with other countries.

Obasanjo said that price increases are inevitable in view of the tightened government spending and deregulation policy introduced two years ago that means long-standing government fuel subsidies will be abolished gradually.

The 130 million Nigerians, of which over 70 percent live below a dollar per day, however, see cheap fuel as a birthright, as the country earns billions of dollars from oil yearly.

The labor unions had called six general strikes before but they yielded little results, as the government has successfully increased petrol price from 26 naira (20 cents) to 65 naira (49 cents) per liter since 2002.

This time, the labor unions said they will "adopt more far- reaching and comprehensive strategies ... to address fundamentally the wider problem of insensitive governance, which lies at the root of the endless crisis."

Wednesday's march is only the first of a series of similar mass rallies that will culminate in Nigeria's capital Abuja by the end of this month.

Analysts, however, once again are of the opinion that it's almost impossible for the government to cut the fuel prices following these protests.

But NLC President Oshiomhole said that they are ready for a prolonged battle. "We must find a political solution by forming a coalition to challenge the ruling party," he told the crowd at the end of Wednesday's march.

The unions are expected to meet again on October 3 to decide whether to call another general strike. When asked by Xinhua a week ago at a press conference whether the possible strike will affect Nigeria's oil exports, Oshiomhole said "by the second phase, we will disconnect oil export if government turns deaf to the protest."

Any unrest in the oil sector in Nigeria will undoubtedly give a negative impact to the simmering world oil prices.

Nigeria produces about 2.5 million barrels of crude per day, but is still forced to import more than half its daily demand of 30 million liters of fuel. Its four aged state-owned refineries are currently operating at about 70 percent of their installed capacity.

Source: Xinhua