Sunday June 28, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has indicated that fresh negotiations with the Federal Government on the review of the national minimum wage may commence soon, raising hopes of another round of talks aimed at cushioning the effects of rising inflation on workers’ incomes.
The development comes less than two years after the implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage and amid renewed calls for another wage review as worsening economic conditions continue to erode workers’ purchasing power.
Speaking on Saturday, the spokesperson for the NLC, Benson Upah, said although formal discussions had yet to begin, organised labour expected negotiations to commence in the near future.
“No formal engagement yet, to the best of my knowledge, but any moment soon,” Upah said when asked whether the Federal Government had initiated discussions with organised labour on a fresh minimum wage review.
His comments followed remarks by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who recently said the time had come for another national conversation on workers’ wages, noting that persistent inflation had significantly diminished the value of the current minimum wage.
Gbajabiamila said that although the ₦70,000 minimum wage was a major milestone when it was introduced, prevailing economic realities had changed rapidly, making it necessary to reassess workers’ remuneration.
He added that improving workers’ welfare should go beyond salary increments to include affordable housing, healthcare, transportation, education and other social protection measures capable of easing the financial burden on workers.
His remarks have reignited the debate over whether the current minimum wage is still sufficient to meet workers’ basic needs as food inflation, transportation costs, electricity tariffs and other household expenses continue to rise.
The last minimum wage review, concluded in 2024, followed months of intense negotiations involving the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and representatives of the organised private sector.
The negotiations were among the most challenging in recent years, marked by nationwide protests, strike ultimatums, marathon meetings and repeated deadlocks over what should constitute a living wage.
Organised labour had initially demanded about ₦615,000 as the new national minimum wage, arguing that the removal of fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira and unprecedented inflation had rendered the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage practically worthless.
The Federal Government and employers, however, maintained that such an amount would be unsustainable for both the public and private sectors, resulting in several revised offers before a compromise was eventually reached.
Following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, both parties agreed on a new national minimum wage of ₦70,000, bringing months of uncertainty to an end and averting a planned nationwide indefinite strike.
Despite accepting the agreement, labour leaders cautioned that the new wage could quickly lose its value if inflation remained unchecked.
That prediction has largely come to pass.
Since the implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage, prices of food, transportation, rent, electricity and other essential goods and services have continued to rise sharply, significantly weakening workers’ purchasing power.
NLC President Joe Ajaero has repeatedly insisted that Nigerian workers deserve a living wage that reflects prevailing economic realities rather than one overtaken by inflation within months of implementation.
*PUNCH
