The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed the proposed increase of Nigeria’s minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000 as grossly inadequate, insisting that a more realistic wage for Nigerian workers should be around ₦1 million per month.
The position was made known by Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, following a proposal by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who urged President Bola Tinubu to consider raising the national minimum wage to ₦100,000.
Speaking in an interview, Upah acknowledged the governor’s recommendation as a thoughtful intervention but argued that the figure falls far short of what workers require to cope with Nigeria’s worsening economic realities.
According to the labour leader, the continuous depreciation of the naira, soaring inflation, rising electricity tariffs, higher fuel prices, and the impact of recent tax policies have significantly eroded the purchasing power of workers across the country.
“We consider it thoughtful of the Kwara State governor to propose this, but certainly, ₦100,000 falls far below the realistic figure,” Upah said.
He maintained that considering prevailing economic conditions, a monthly minimum wage of about ₦1 million would better reflect the true cost of living faced by Nigerian workers.
The NLC further argued that governments at all levels have the financial capacity to improve workers’ welfare, citing increased allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and additional revenues generated from global economic developments.
The debate comes less than two years after President Bola Tinubu signed the ₦70,000 minimum wage bill into law in June 2024, raising the national minimum wage from ₦30,000. The legislation provides for a review of the wage every three years.
The latest demand from organised labour is expected to reignite national discussions on workers’ welfare, salary sustainability, and the growing cost-of-living crisis facing millions of Nigerians.
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