NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero has revealed that President Bola Tinubu offered Labour N250,000 minimum wage on condition that Labour would allow petrol price to go up to N1,500.
Ajaero disclosed this in an interview on Mic On Podcast released Saturday, October 3, 2026, while recounting the behind-the-scenes of the 2024 minimum wage negotiation.
According to him:
“In a meeting we had with Mr President, he said ‘You are the person holding me down. If you allow me to increase this price to about N1,500, I will pay you guys N250,000.’ He even gave us analysis of what is happening in nearby countries.”
Ajaero said Labour rejected the offer because it would be selfish.
”We told Mr President, we prefer to take N70,000 than for you to increase pump price to N1,500, because it is not only Labour that will suffer. Nigeria is bigger than workers alone.”
Recall that President Tinubu signed N70,000 as new minimum wage in July 2024, a 133% increase from N30,000. That wage is due for review in 2027.
lAjaero insisted accepting N250k while Nigerians buy fuel at N1,500 would have inflicted more hardship on the masses.
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