The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the proposed N100,000 national minimum wage being considered by state governors, describing it as inadequate in the face of current economic pressures and calling instead for a significantly higher benchmark.
NLC spokesperson Benson Upah, in an interview with The PUNCH, argued that Nigerian workers should be earning as much as N1 million monthly, citing worsening inflation, currency depreciation, rising fuel and electricity costs, and recent tax adjustments as key drivers of reduced purchasing power. He said while the proposal by state governors reflects some willingness to review wages, the figure under discussion remains far below what workers need to cope with present realities.
His comments came in response to the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who had said governors were considering a new national minimum wage of N100,000. AbdulRazaq noted that the proposal is part of ongoing consultations with the Federal Government and labour unions aimed at balancing workers’ welfare with the fiscal capacity of governments.
Labour, however, maintains that any final wage decision must more closely reflect economic conditions, warning that incremental adjustments may still leave workers struggling amid sustained cost-of-living pressures.
