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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected a proposed 100,000 naira national minimum wage under consideration by state governors, calling it unrealistic.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah argued that prevailing economic conditions justify a monthly wage as high as 1 million naira for Nigerian workers.
Upah made these remarks in response to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who had announced that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum was considering the 100,000 naira figure to combat rising inflation and living costs.
AbdulRazaq stated that state governments were already negotiating with the Nigerian government and organised labour to create a wage structure that balances worker welfare with fiscal sustainability.
While Upah commended the governors for considering a wage review, he insisted that 100,000 naira falls far below what workers need to survive.
He cited the continuous depreciation of the naira, rising electricity tariffs, higher fuel prices, and new tax measures as major factors severely crippling the purchasing power of the average worker.
Upah further argued that the government can easily afford higher wages because state revenues have increased significantly.
He pointed to a massive 5 trillion naira treasury windfall from the Middle East war, currently boosting the Federation Account Allocation Committee’s distribution.
Organised labour continues to push for a wage review because soaring food and transportation costs have completely eroded the 70,000 naira minimum wage that the Nigerian government approved in July 2024.
