By: Abdullahi Muhammad
Abuja – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), alongside federal government workers, has called for an urgent upward review of the national minimum wage, stating that the current ₦70,000 is no longer sufficient to meet the basic needs of workers.
This demand comes amid growing economic pressures and rising inflation, with labour unions highlighting that the cost of essential goods and services including food, transportation, and housing has significantly outpaced the existing wage.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), union leaders and workers emphasized that the economic realities on the ground have rendered the ₦70,000 wage unsustainable. They pointed to recent moves by several state governments who have increased their workers’ minimum wage above the federal benchmark as a clear indication that a national review is overdue.
The current minimum wage was set in motion by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024, when he signed the new National Minimum Wage Bill into law, raising the rate from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000. However, barely a year later, workers and unions argue that the wage has lost its value due to the unrelenting rise in living costs.
The NLC has urged the federal government to reconvene with labour stakeholders to initiate a new wage negotiation process that reflects the current economic climate.
