By Ayodele Oni
As Nigerians continue to experience soaring cost of living, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and federal government workers have called for an urgent review of the national minimum wage.
According to the NLC, the current N70,000 ($91) benchmark is no longer sustainable amid rising inflation.
The demand comes after several Nigerian states unilaterally raised their workers’ minimum wages above the federal level in response to soaring living costs.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah said that “inflation has eroded the value of the N70,000 minimum wage, leaving many workers unable to meet basic needs.
“Workers are under immense pressure, and unless the government responds quickly, the crisis of survival will only worsen.”
President Bola Tinubu had signed the new National Minimum Wage Bill into law in July 2024, raising the wage from N30,000 to N70,000.
The law applies nationwide, covering federal and state government employees, local government workers, and the private sector.
However, several states have since increased wages beyond the federal minimum. Imo State raised its minimum wage to N104,000 in August, while Lagos and Rivers states approved N85,000 in October 2024, with Lagos promising N100,000 in 2025.
Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu, and Akwa Ibom states set theirs at N80,000, Ogun and Delta at N77,000, Benue and Osun at N75,000, and Ondo at N73,000
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