The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and senior civil servants have called for an urgent review of the national minimum wage, arguing that the current ₦70,000 benchmark has been eroded by inflation and rising living costs.
Their demand comes as several states across the country have increased workers’ pay beyond the federal minimum, citing the harsh economic realities facing households.
President Bola Tinubu signed the new National Minimum Wage Act into law in July 2024, raising the threshold from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 for workers in the federal, state, and private sectors.
But on August 27, 2025, Imo State took the lead, raising its minimum wage to ₦104,000 after negotiations between Governor Hope Uzodinma and organised labour. Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Delta, Benue, Osun, and Ondo states have also reviewed their wages upward, with some setting higher targets for 2025.
Speaking in Abuja, NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, said the ₦70,000 wage no longer meets workers’ basic needs.
> “The truth is that ₦70,000 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,” he warned.
Upah noted that while labour remains open to dialogue, industrial action could be considered if talks with the federal government fail.
Similarly, Shehu Mohammed, President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), applauded governors who have raised wages and urged the federal government to follow suit.
He recalled that labour’s original demand during negotiations was ₦250,000, describing the current ₦70,000 wage as “barely enough to get a worker to the office, not back home.”
Mohammed stressed that soaring electricity tariffs, transport fares, and food prices have made life unbearable for many workers. He also urged government to complement wage increases with policies on affordable housing, healthcare, and subsidised transportation.
