The Federal Government is expected to begin discussions on reviewing Nigeria’s ₦70,000 national minimum wage in line with the provisions of the current Minimum Wage Act.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the ₦70,000 minimum wage in July 2024 after negotiations with organised labour. At the time, the President assured workers that the wage would be reviewed every three years instead of the previous five-year cycle.
With the three-year review period approaching, labour unions, workers, and several state governments have intensified calls for an upward adjustment, arguing that inflation and the rising cost of living have significantly reduced the value of the current wage.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, recently urged the Federal Government to consider raising the minimum wage to ₦100,000. He noted that many states are already paying wages above the national benchmark and argued that workers require greater support amid current economic realities.
Labour leaders have also maintained that the ₦70,000 minimum wage is no longer sufficient to meet workers’ needs due to increasing prices of food, transportation, housing, and other essential services. They have called on the Federal Government to commence negotiations for a new wage structure that reflects prevailing economic conditions.
Under the current law, the minimum wage is due for review every three years, meaning formal discussions on a new national minimum wage are expected before the next review cycle.
While no official figure has yet been announced by the Federal Government, expectations are growing among workers and labour unions that the upcoming review could lead to a significant increase above the existing ₦70,000 benchmark.
