The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has indicated that fresh negotiations with the Federal Government over a review of the national minimum wage could begin soon as rising inflation continues to reduce the purchasing power of Nigerian workers.
Speaking on Saturday, the NLC’s spokesperson, Benson Upah, said although formal discussions have not yet started, organised labour expects talks to commence in the near future.
“No formal engagement yet to the best of my knowledge, but any moment soon,” Upah said.
The development comes less than two years after the implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, amid growing concerns that the current wage no longer reflects Nigeria’s worsening economic realities.
The renewed expectation for wage talks follows recent comments by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who acknowledged that persistent inflation has significantly reduced the value of the existing minimum wage.
Gbajabiamila noted that while the ₦70,000 wage was a major achievement when it was introduced, rising prices of food, transportation, electricity and other essential goods have made it necessary to begin another conversation on workers’ welfare.
He also stressed that improving workers’ living standards should go beyond salary increases to include better access to affordable housing, healthcare, education, transportation and other social support programmes.
The current minimum wage was approved in 2024 after months of negotiations between the Federal Government, the NLC, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and representatives of the organised private sector.
During the negotiations, organised labour had initially demanded ₦615,000 as the new minimum wage, arguing that the removal of petrol subsidy, naira devaluation and soaring inflation had made the previous wage inadequate.
After several rounds of negotiations and the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, both parties eventually agreed on a ₦70,000 minimum wage, averting a nationwide strike.
However, labour leaders had warned that the new wage could quickly lose its value if inflation was not brought under control—a concern that has since been reinforced by the continued rise in the cost of living across the country.
