The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the Federal Government’s position that negotiations for a new national minimum wage cannot begin until June 2027, insisting that the process should commence immediately to address the worsening economic hardship facing Nigerian workers.
The labour union argued that the government was misinterpreting the National Minimum Wage Act by confusing the commencement of negotiations with the implementation of a new wage. It maintained that preliminary steps towards a review should begin in October 2026 to prevent unnecessary delays.
In a letter signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, and addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, the NLC faulted the minister’s position that another minimum wage review would be premature.
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Dingyadi had, in a letter dated October 12, maintained that the current ₦70,000 national minimum wage, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, was due for review on June 1, 2027.
The minister argued that commencing another review barely two years into the implementation of the current wage would be inconsistent with the law and could disrupt industrial relations.
However, the NLC insisted that starting negotiations would not amount to immediately implementing a new minimum wage. It said preliminary activities, including inviting nominations, inaugurating a tripartite committee and setting the agenda for negotiations, could begin well ahead of the proposed implementation date.
“The government is not being asked to implement a new wage today, but to commence the process of negotiation,” Ajaero stated in the letter.
The congress argued that the National Minimum Wage Act signed on April 18, 2019, provided a framework that should guide the next review, insisting that negotiations ought to begin at least six months before the expiration of the existing wage arrangement.
It therefore described the government’s position that a fresh review would be premature as a misinterpretation of the law.
The NLC also dismissed the Federal Government’s argument that the 133 per cent increase in the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, alongside interventions such as the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative and food security programmes, demonstrated its commitment to workers’ welfare.
According to the union, persistent inflation, the depreciation of the naira and rising petrol prices have significantly eroded workers’ purchasing power, leaving many struggling to meet basic needs, including food, transportation, housing, healthcare and education.
“The Federal Government should understand that a wage increase that is immediately swallowed by hyperinflation is not a wage increase; it is a statistical illusion,” the congress stated.
The labour body also questioned the effectiveness of the CNG initiative, citing inadequate infrastructure and shortages of gas and conversion kits as factors limiting its benefits to workers.
It maintained that Nigerian workers should not be expected to bear the burden of economic reforms without immediate measures to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
As part of its demands, the NLC called on the Federal Government to begin the minimum wage renegotiation process by inviting nominations and inaugurating the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee before the expiration of its ultimatum.
The congress also demanded the implementation of tax relief measures agreed upon in 2023, immediate wage awards for workers and a reduction in petrol prices to the levels prevailing when the current minimum wage was signed into law in 2024.
Additionally, it urged the government to implement the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and address the outstanding demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC).
Although the NLC acknowledged the labour minister’s assurance that the government remained open to dialogue, it warned that discussions without clear timelines and immediate relief measures would amount to mere rhetoric.
The congress urged the Federal Government to take urgent and decisive action, warning that worsening economic conditions required direct intervention to protect workers’ welfare and prevent further deterioration in their living standards.
It reaffirmed its commitment to negotiations but insisted that the government must demonstrate the political will to address workers’ demands and provide meaningful relief from the rising cost of living.
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