N100,000 minimum wage too low, workers deserve N1m — NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the proposed N100,000 national minimum wage being considered by state governors as insufficient, insisting that Nigerian workers deserve as much as N1 million monthly to cope with prevailing economic realities.

The spokesperson for the NLC, Benson Upah, stated this in an interview on Sunday while reacting to comments by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who revealed that governors were considering a new minimum wage of N100,000.

AbdulRazaq, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said the proposal was being considered in response to rising inflation, increasing living costs and the growing financial burden on workers across the country.

According to him, state governments were already engaging the Federal Government and organised labour to develop a wage structure that balances workers’ welfare with fiscal sustainability.

Reacting to the proposal, Upah acknowledged the governors’ willingness to review workers’ salaries but argued that the suggested figure falls far below what is needed under current economic conditions.

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

The labour leader attributed the demand for a higher wage to the continued depreciation of the naira, rising inflation, increases in electricity tariffs, higher fuel prices and the declining purchasing power of Nigerian workers.

He further noted that the impact of recent tax measures and the overall cost of living crisis have made a substantial wage increase necessary.

“Given the realities around the exchange rate, inflation, raised tariffs, the surge in the pump price of petrol and associated costs, the decline in the purchasing power of the average worker, and the effects of the new tax regime on our cost of living, the realistic figure would be N1 million,” Upah stated.

He also argued that improved government revenues and increased allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) should enable governments to better compensate workers.

The debate over workers’ wages has intensified amid economic challenges following the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira. Labour unions maintain that the current N70,000 minimum wage approved in 2024 has been significantly eroded by inflation and rising living costs.