Lagos banks, shops and businesses are shut
The general strike in Nigeria over the elimination of a fuel subsidy has brought the country to a standstill.
Most shops, offices, schools and petrol stations around the country closed on the first day of an indefinite strike called by unions.
Thousands of people gathered in Lagos and other cities to protest at the loss of the subsidy which has meant a doubling of fuel and transport costs.
President Goodluck Jonathan said the subsidy was economically unsustainable.
The normally bustling streets of Lagos are quiet, with the exception of police patrols and protesters on their way to rallies.
Thousands of people at a mass rally in Lagos are screaming and singing out against the fuel subsidy removal they say is totally unfair.
The protests are gathering pace - and the unions say the strike will go on indefinitely.
"Bad luck Jonathan," many of the protesters cry. They have a point.
The timing could not be worse for President Goodluck Jonathan, who said his fight against militant Islamists of Boko Haram in the north, who have recently killed dozens of Christians, is worse than the country's civil war in the 1960s.
He even suggested government officials may be secret members of the group.
It was the president who chose the timing of this fuel fight but it may be that the growing unrest in the north forces his hand in this struggle too.
He cannot afford state resources being stretched for too long while the attacks in the north continue.
Several thousand people have gathered at Gani Fawehinmi park in the city and more are arriving all the time.
There have been reports that one protester was shot dead in Lagos.
In the main northern city of Kano, police fired tear gas and shots in the air to disperse thousands of protesters who were converging on the governor's office. Twelve people were injured.
In Abuja, pickets closed the airport, preventing flights from arriving or leaving.
Also in Abuja, there are reports that youths camping in the city's Eagle Square were cleared out overnight by police using tear gas.
In the northern city of Kaduna, there is a heavy police presence and the streets are quiet, with all shops closed.
Ilorin, a large city in south-west Nigeria, was also at a standstill, a man who runs market stalls said he ordered his staff to stay at home after he saw two vandalised cars.
There have been angry protests since the subsidy ended on 1 January as fuel and transport costs have doubled and other costs have risen as well.
The loss of the fuel subsidy has angered many Nigerians, who saw it as the only benefit they received from the country's vast oil wealth.
Most of Nigeria's 160 million people live on less than $2 (£1.30) a day, so the sharp price increases have hit them hard.
"With these increases, the cost of transport has gone up and this has also affected the cost of food, and the basic necessities of life, such as rents, school fees and medical bills," said Chris Uyot, a spokesman for the Nigeria Labour Congress, one of the strike's organisers.
A similar strike in 2003 saw Nigeria almost entirely shut down. It ended with a partial climbdown, when the government agreed to reduce the subside, rather than scrapping it altogether.
While the strike is expected to affect oil workers too, industry sources do not expect the industrial action to significantly affect crude exports, Reuters news agency reports.
Despite being a major Opec oil producer, Nigeria has not invested in the infrastructure to produce refined fuel, so has to import much of its petrol.
Nigeria's fuel prices
Previous price in petrol stations: $0.40/ litre
New price in petrol stations: $0.86
Previous black market price: $0.62
New black market price: $1.23
Annual cost to government of subsidy: $8bn
With the subsidy, fuel was much cheaper in Nigeria than neighbouring countries, so some of it was smuggled abroad.
Members of parliament have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to reconsider, but he has said the subsidy was economically unsustainable.
He made a televised address on Saturday to defend the the subsidy cut and other government austerity moves.
"We must act in the public interest, no matter how tough, for the pains of today cannot be compared to the benefits of tomorrow."
The deregulation of the petroleum sector was, he insisted, the best way to curb corruption and ensure the survival and growth of the economy.
Nigerians queued to buy petrol ahead of the strike
"The truth is that we are all faced with two basic choices... either we deregulate and survive economically, or we continue with a subsidy regime that will continue to undermine our economy and potential for growth, and face serious consequences."
He said that top government officials would, from this year, take a 25% pay cut, and foreign trips would also be reduced.
The government says it will spend the $8bn (£5bn) it saves each year by scrapping the subsidy on improving health, education and the country's erratic electricity supply.
However, many Nigerians fear it is more likely to end up in the pockets of corrupt officials.
Last month, International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde praised President Jonathan's efforts to reform the Nigerian economy but cautioned that the country should become less reliant on oil exports for revenue.
The protests are gathering pace - and the unions say the strike will go on indefinitely.
"Bad luck Jonathan," many of the protesters cry. They have a point.
The timing could not be worse for President Goodluck Jonathan, who said his fight against militant Islamists of Boko Haram in the north, who have recently killed dozens of Christians, is worse than the country's civil war in the 1960s.
He even suggested government officials may be secret members of the group.
It was the president who chose the timing of this fuel fight but it may be that the growing unrest in the north forces his hand in this struggle too.
He cannot afford state resources being stretched for too long while the attacks in the north continue.
Several thousand people have gathered at Gani Fawehinmi park in the city and more are arriving all the time.
There have been reports that one protester was shot dead in Lagos.
In the main northern city of Kano, police fired tear gas and shots in the air to disperse thousands of protesters who were converging on the governor's office. Twelve people were injured.
In Abuja, pickets closed the airport, preventing flights from arriving or leaving.
Also in Abuja, there are reports that youths camping in the city's Eagle Square were cleared out overnight by police using tear gas.
In the northern city of Kaduna, there is a heavy police presence and the streets are quiet, with all shops closed.
Ilorin, a large city in south-west Nigeria, was also at a standstill, a man who runs market stalls said he ordered his staff to stay at home after he saw two vandalised cars.
There have been angry protests since the subsidy ended on 1 January as fuel and transport costs have doubled and other costs have risen as well.
The loss of the fuel subsidy has angered many Nigerians, who saw it as the only benefit they received from the country's vast oil wealth.
Most of Nigeria's 160 million people live on less than $2 (£1.30) a day, so the sharp price increases have hit them hard.
"With these increases, the cost of transport has gone up and this has also affected the cost of food, and the basic necessities of life, such as rents, school fees and medical bills," said Chris Uyot, a spokesman for the Nigeria Labour Congress, one of the strike's organisers.
A similar strike in 2003 saw Nigeria almost entirely shut down. It ended with a partial climbdown, when the government agreed to reduce the subside, rather than scrapping it altogether.
While the strike is expected to affect oil workers too, industry sources do not expect the industrial action to significantly affect crude exports, Reuters news agency reports.
Despite being a major Opec oil producer, Nigeria has not invested in the infrastructure to produce refined fuel, so has to import much of its petrol.
Nigeria's fuel prices
Previous price in petrol stations: $0.40/ litre
New price in petrol stations: $0.86
Previous black market price: $0.62
New black market price: $1.23
Annual cost to government of subsidy: $8bn
With the subsidy, fuel was much cheaper in Nigeria than neighbouring countries, so some of it was smuggled abroad.
Members of parliament have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to reconsider, but he has said the subsidy was economically unsustainable.
He made a televised address on Saturday to defend the the subsidy cut and other government austerity moves.
"We must act in the public interest, no matter how tough, for the pains of today cannot be compared to the benefits of tomorrow."
The deregulation of the petroleum sector was, he insisted, the best way to curb corruption and ensure the survival and growth of the economy.
Nigerians queued to buy petrol ahead of the strike"The truth is that we are all faced with two basic choices... either we deregulate and survive economically, or we continue with a subsidy regime that will continue to undermine our economy and potential for growth, and face serious consequences."
He said that top government officials would, from this year, take a 25% pay cut, and foreign trips would also be reduced.
The government says it will spend the $8bn (£5bn) it saves each year by scrapping the subsidy on improving health, education and the country's erratic electricity supply.
However, many Nigerians fear it is more likely to end up in the pockets of corrupt officials.
Last month, International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde praised President Jonathan's efforts to reform the Nigerian economy but cautioned that the country should become less reliant on oil exports for revenue.
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