What started out as a labour kerfuffle by railway employees in June 1945, eventually spread to other unions in the civil service, then private sector workers decided to support their public sector counterparts.
It was Nigeria's first general strike, and involved 17 labour unions and up to 200,000 workers. It lasted 45 days, and caused a total shutdown of the economy. This strike, and not the politicians, was the most devastating blow against colonialism in the country.
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