The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has renewed its call for a review of Nigeria’s national minimum wage, declaring that the current ₦70,000 benchmark is no longer sufficient to meet the basic needs of workers amid rising living costs.
The labour union said the economic realities confronting Nigerian workers have changed significantly since the ₦70,000 minimum wage was introduced in 2024, making a fresh review necessary.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, reportedly described the current wage as a “poverty wage” and said organised labour would prepare for negotiations aimed at securing a more realistic living wage for Nigerian workers.
Ajaero made the position known while speaking during the opening of the 2026 NLC Rain School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The event brought together labour leaders and other stakeholders to discuss issues affecting the working class and the country’s political and economic future.
According to the NLC leadership, the forthcoming wage negotiations should go beyond simply increasing workers’ salaries. Labour wants a wage structure that takes into account the cost of food, transportation, housing, healthcare, education and other essential needs facing Nigerian households.
The union argued that the purchasing power of workers has continued to weaken as the prices of goods and services rise, leaving many employees struggling to meet their basic obligations despite earning the statutory minimum wage.
The ₦70,000 national minimum wage was approved by the Federal Government in July 2024 following negotiations with organised labour. The agreement replaced the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage and was presented as a response to the severe cost-of-living pressures confronting Nigerians.
However, organised labour has continued to maintain that economic conditions have deteriorated since the agreement was reached.
In June 2026, the NLC announced plans to formally engage the Federal Government over a fresh review, insisting that Nigerian workers deserve a “genuine living wage” that reflects current economic realities. Reports also indicated that the government had signalled its readiness for a review of the existing wage structure.
The renewed demand has therefore set the stage for another round of negotiations between labour, the Federal Government, state governments and employers.
The NLC is expected to push for a wage that can provide workers with greater purchasing power while also taking into consideration the ability of governments and businesses to sustain increased wage bills.
The debate is likely to become more significant as Nigeria approaches another minimum-wage review cycle. Labour leaders have warned that workers cannot continue to survive on a wage that they believe has been substantially eroded by inflation and the rising cost of essential goods.
For now, the NLC has not announced a final new national minimum wage figure in the latest reports. Rather, the union has signalled that it is preparing for negotiations and wants the next wage agreement to be based on the prevailing cost of living.
The development could lead to fresh discussions between organised labour and the government over workers’ welfare, wage sustainability, productivity and the broader economic conditions affecting Nigerian households.
