N70k minimum wage not sustainable – NLC tells FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and federal government workers have called for an urgent review of the national minimum wage, insisting that the current N70,000 is no longer realistic given the country’s economic situation.

 Their demand follows moves by several states to raise minimum wages above the N70,000 benchmark, in response to inflation and the rising cost of living.

President Bola Tinubu signed the National Minimum Wage Bill into law in July 2024, raising the wage from B30,000 to N70,000. The law applies to all tiers of government as well as the private sector. However, since then, some states have gone further: Imo State recently raised its minimum wage to N104,000, Lagos and Rivers to N85,000, Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu, and Akwa Ibom to N80,000, Ogun and Delta to N77,000, Benue and Osun to N75,000, and Ondo to N73,000.

Mr. Benson Upah, Acting General Secretary of the NLC, told NAN in Abuja that inflation has eroded the value of N70,000, leaving workers unable to meet basic needs.

“The truth is that N70,000 is not sustainable under the present economic situation. Workers are under immense pressure, and unless the government responds quickly, the crisis of survival will only worsen. We have since engaged the Federal Government on this matter at different times and fora. It is our hope that the government would see both the economic and moral obligations to do so expeditiously,” he said.

Upah added that while dialogue would continue, labour unions may be forced to consider industrial action if no progress is made.

Supporting this stance, Mr. Shehu Mohammed, President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), praised governors who had increased wages, saying their actions should serve as a signal to the federal government.

“Right from the beginning, during the negotiation, our demand was for a living wage, and we submitted N250,000 as a reasonable benchmark. We told the government that anything short of that only takes a worker to the gate of the office, not back home,” Mohammed said.

He stressed that with high electricity tariffs, food, and transport costs, N70,000 has lost its value. He further urged the federal government to complement wage reviews with broader policies on affordable housing, healthcare, and subsidised transport.

Several federal workers also spoke to NAN, highlighting how difficult it has become to survive on the current wage.

Mrs. Kemi George lamented that her salary barely covers transport and food, let alone rent and school fees. Another worker, Mr. Obi Chimaobi, described the situation as “unbearable,” saying the minimum wage leaves many families in debt before the month ends.

“It is about restoring dignity to work and reaffirming the social contract between government and the governed,” Chimaobi said.

Another civil servant, Mrs. Bola Akingbade, added that “a well-paid workforce is a motivated workforce,” noting that higher wages would reduce corruption, boost productivity, and improve service delivery in the public sector.