NLC Says N100,000 Minimum Wage Proposal Falls Short, Suggests N1 Million

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the proposed increase of the national minimum wage from N70,000 to N100,000 as inadequate, insisting that a more realistic figure should be around N1 million.

The position was made known by the NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, while reacting to a proposal by Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who recently urged President Bola Tinubu to consider raising the minimum wage to N100,000.

AbdulRazaq made the recommendation during a meeting between the President and state governors at his Lagos residence.

Speaking in an interview with The Punch, Upah commended the governor for initiating the discussion but maintained that the proposed amount does not reflect current economic realities.

According to him, the continuous depreciation of the naira, rising inflation, increased electricity tariffs, higher petrol prices, declining purchasing power of workers, and the impact of the new tax regime have significantly increased the cost of living.

“We consider it thoughtful of the Kwara State governor to propose this, but certainly, N100,000 falls far below the realistic figure,” Upah said.

He argued that a minimum wage of about N1 million would better address the prevailing economic challenges facing Nigerian workers.

The labour leader also noted that governments at all levels currently have access to improved revenues, citing allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and additional earnings linked to global oil market developments.

President Tinubu signed the National Minimum Wage Act into law in June 2024, raising the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000. The legislation also provides for a review of the wage every three years.

The previous minimum wage of N30,000 was approved in 2019 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.