From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the Federal Government’s position that the current ₦70,000 national minimum wage cannot be reviewed until June 2027, insisting that negotiations for a new wage should commence immediately.
The labour centre described the government’s interpretation of the National Minimum Wage Act as incorrect, arguing that preparations for a fresh wage review should begin before the expiration of the current wage arrangement to avoid delays and further hardship for workers.
In a letter signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, and addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, the NLC said negotiations for a new minimum wage should commence in October 2026.
The letter was a response to the minister’s 12 October 2026 correspondence, in which the Federal Government maintained that the current ₦70,000 minimum wage, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on 29 July 2024, was due for review on 1 June 2027.
Dingyadi had argued that commencing another review barely two years into the implementation of the current wage would be premature, inconsistent with the law and disruptive to industrial relations.
However, the NLC faulted that position, insisting that the government was confusing the commencement of negotiations with the implementation of a new minimum wage.
“The government is not being asked to implement a new wage today, but to commence the process of negotiation,” Ajaero said in the letter.
He explained that preliminary steps, including calling for nominations, inaugurating the tripartite committee and setting the agenda, should begin ahead of the actual negotiations.
The labour centre argued that the original National Minimum Wage Act, signed on 18 April 2019, had established a timeline that should guide the next review, adding that negotiations ought to commence at least six months before the expiration of the existing wage arrangement. It said the government’s claim that a fresh review was premature amounted to a misinterpretation of the law.
The NLC also rejected the Federal Government’s argument that the 133 per cent increase from the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage, alongside interventions such as the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative and food security programmes, demonstrated its commitment to workers’ welfare.
According to the congress, rising inflation, the depreciation of the naira and the increase in petrol prices have eroded the purchasing power of workers, leaving many unable to afford basic necessities, 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 NLC stated.
It further criticised the implementation of the CNG initiative, arguing that inadequate infrastructure and shortages of gas and conversion kits had limited its benefits to workers.
The congress maintained that workers could not continue to bear the burden of economic reforms without immediate relief measures to cushion the rising cost of living.
Consequently, it called on the Federal Government to begin the process of renegotiating the minimum wage by inviting nominations and inaugurating the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee before the expiration of its ultimatum.
The NLC 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 level prevailing when the current minimum wage was signed into law in 2024.
In addition, it urged the government to implement the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and address the demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC).
While acknowledging the minister’s assurance that the government remained open to dialogue, the congress said engagement without clear timelines and immediate relief measures would amount to rhetoric.
It urged the Federal Government to act swiftly, warning that the worsening economic conditions required direct and significant intervention to protect workers’ welfare.
The NLC reaffirmed its commitment to negotiations but insisted that the government must demonstrate the political will to address workers’ demands and improve their living conditions.
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