A GENERAL strike gripped Nigeria yesterday, posing the first significant test for the country’s new president and putting oil markets on edge over supplies from one of the world’s top crude exporters.

Nigeria’s main oil workers union threatened to shut down the country’s oil industry as a nationwide general strike entered its third day today.

TALKS between Nigerian unions and a US oil firm on ending the occupation by strikers of four oil rigs where 97 foreign workers are trapped ended in deadlock yesterday, union leaders said.