The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and federal government workers have called for an immediate upward review of the national minimum wage, insisting that the current ₦70,000 benchmark is no longer sustainable in the face of rising inflation and skyrocketing living costs.
In July 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the new minimum wage law, raising the base pay from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 for workers in the federal, state, and private sectors. However, the rapid surge in food, transport, housing, and electricity costs has since eroded its value.
Some states have already taken independent steps to cushion the burden. On August 27, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State announced a new minimum wage of ₦104,000, with corresponding adjustments across the salary structure. Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Enugu, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Delta, Benue, Osun, and Ondo states have also reviewed salaries upward—Lagos targeting ₦100,000 by 2025, according to reports by The Cable.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the current wage no longer reflects economic realities.
“The truth is that ₦70,000 is not sustainable under the present economic situation. Workers are under immense pressure, and unless the government responds quickly, the crisis of survival will only worsen,” Upah said.
He disclosed that the NLC has engaged the Federal Government on the matter at different fora, stressing that while dialogue remains the preferred path, industrial action may be considered if negotiations stall.
Similarly, President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Mr Shehu Mohammed, welcomed the moves by state governors to raise wages, describing them as both encouraging and a wake-up call to the Federal Government.
“Right from the beginning, during negotiations, our demand was for a living wage, and we submitted ₦250,000 as a reasonable benchmark. Anything short of that only takes a worker to the gate of the office, not back home,” he said.
Mohammed further lamented that soaring electricity tariffs, high transport fares, and skyrocketing food prices have rendered ₦70,000 inadequate for survival.
“Let’s be realistic. Even if you pay electricity bills out of ₦70,000, what remains cannot sustain a family for 10 days,” he added.
He urged the government to complement wage increases with broader economic policies to reduce the cost of living, including investments in affordable housing, healthcare, and subsidised transport.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of federal workers interviewed by NAN expressed growing frustration with the harsh economic climate, noting that survival has become increasingly difficult under current conditions.
Labour leaders have now placed the government under renewed pressure to act, with unions warning that timely intervention could avert a deeper national crisis.
