A general strike in Nigeria over the elimination of a fuel subsidy has brought the country to a standstill. Shops, offices, schools and petrol stations around the country closed on the first day of an indefinite strike. Thousands gathered in Lagos and other cities to protest at the loss of the subsidy which has doubled fuel costs. A demonstrator has been shot dead in Lagos, while 20 people were injured as police used tear gas and fired in the air in the northern city of Kano. President Goodluck Jonathan has 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, says the BBC's Mark Lobel in Nigeria's commercial capital. Police clashed with demonstrators as thousands gathered at the city's Gani Fewehinmi park. Witnesses and hospital sources later said one protester was killed. In other developments around the country: In Kano, 20 people were wounded as police dispersed protesters converging on the governor's office In the capital, Abuja, protester closed the airport and youths camping in the city's Eagle Square have been removed by police All the shops in the northern city of Kaduna are closed and there is a heavy police presence Ilorin, in south-west Nigeria, is also at a standstill, a man who runs market stalls told the BBC Smuggled fuel 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. 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. "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.