The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed the proposed ₦100,000 national minimum wage being considered by state governors, insisting that Nigerian workers deserve significantly higher pay to cope with the country’s harsh economic realities.
Speaking in reaction to comments by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah argued that ₦100,000 falls far short of what is needed to meet rising living costs.
While commending the governors for considering a wage review, Upah maintained that the current economic environment justifies a minimum wage of up to ₦1 million per month.
According to him, persistent inflation, the depreciation of the naira, rising electricity tariffs, increased fuel prices, shrinking purchasing power, and the impact of recent tax measures have significantly eroded workers’ earnings.
“Given the realities around the exchange rate, inflation, increased tariffs, rising fuel costs, declining purchasing power and the effects of the new tax regime, the realistic figure would be ₦1 million,” he stated.
The labour leader also argued that improved government revenues and increased allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) should make better worker remuneration achievable.
He stressed that the workforce remains the most valuable asset of any nation and deserves compensation that reflects current economic realities and supports productivity.
The debate comes amid growing calls for another wage review less than two years after the Federal Government approved a ₦70,000 national minimum wage in July 2024. Labour unions insist that soaring inflation and the rising cost of living have drastically reduced the value of the current wage structure.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum is yet to formally submit any new minimum wage proposal to the Federal Government or organised labour.
