The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the proposed N100,000 minimum wage being considered by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, describing the amount as inadequate to address the current economic realities facing Nigerian workers.
Newsonspot reports that the union argued that the rising cost of living has significantly reduced workers’ purchasing power, making a much higher wage necessary. According to the NLC, a realistic minimum wage should be closer to N1 million, considering the prevailing economic challenges across the country.
The proposal for a wage review was put forward by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who stated that governors were exploring options to adjust the national minimum wage in response to inflation, increasing living expenses, and the need to balance workers’ welfare with government financial capacity.
While welcoming discussions on improving workers’ earnings, the labour union maintained that a N100,000 wage would not be enough to ease the hardship experienced by many Nigerians. The NLC cited factors such as inflation, the depreciation of the naira, rising electricity tariffs, higher fuel costs, new tax measures, and declining purchasing power as reasons for demanding a more substantial increase.
The labour body also noted that government revenues have improved through increased allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and other sources, which it believes should enable authorities to provide better remuneration for workers.
According to the union, workers remain the backbone of national development and deserve fair compensation to sustain productivity and support economic stability.
The debate comes amid growing concerns over the impact of fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the naira on household incomes. In 2024, the Federal Government approved an increase in the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 following extensive negotiations with organised labour.
