Scores of aggrieved workers staged a peaceful protest outside the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) office in Abuja on Friday, demanding the implementation of the proposed N70,000 minimum wage, as tensions rise over wage reform across Nigeria.
The protest, which took place directly outside the office of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, was captured in a video now circulating on social media, showing placard-bearing civil servants chanting solidarity songs and calling on the federal and FCT authorities to “honor their promise” to Nigerian workers.
The workers decried what they described as “widening inequality and economic hardship,” insisting that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is grossly insufficient in the face of inflation, rising cost of living, and removal of fuel subsidy.
One of the protesters, speaking anonymously, said:
> “We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for survival. Abuja is not a place where any worker can live on ₦30,000 a month. We demand N70,000 now—not later.”
The protest comes amid nationwide agitation led by organized labour unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), who have threatened mass action if the new minimum wage is not approved and implemented in the coming weeks.
Despite President Bola Tinubu’s administration proposing the N70,000 figure in its ongoing wage review negotiations, no implementation date has been confirmed, prompting unrest among workers in both federal and state civil services.
The protest outside Wike’s office is especially significant, as the FCT Minister has come under scrutiny in recent weeks over perceived “elite-centric” development priorities and inadequate worker engagement.
While no violence was recorded during the demonstration, eyewitnesses said the FCT Police Command had deployed plainclothes officers to monitor the protest and prevent escalation.
As of the time of this report, the FCTA has not issued an official statement in response to the protest.
Headlinenews.news Special Investigative Team
