The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared the current N70,000 national minimum wage inadequate, describing it as a “poverty wage,” and has called on workers nationwide to prepare for fresh negotiations for a living wage.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 NLC Rain School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, NLC President Joe Ajaero urged affiliates and state councils to mobilise for what he described as an imminent struggle to secure better wages and improved working conditions.
Ajaero said the rising cost of living has rendered the current minimum wage unsustainable, insisting that Nigerian workers deserve salaries that can adequately provide food, shelter, education and healthcare for their families.
He stressed that organised labour would approach the upcoming negotiations from a position of strength, warning that workers would not be intimidated by arguments of austerity or economic hardship.
The labour leader also criticised the Federal Government over the delay in transmitting the tripartite-reviewed Labour Bills to the National Assembly, describing the six-year delay as a setback to workers’ rights and labour reforms.
He called on lawmakers, civil society organisations and the media to support the passage of the bills, saying modern labour legislation is essential to protecting workers and aligning Nigeria with international labour standards.
