₦70,000 Minimum Wage No Longer Enough — NLC Gives Tinubu Government October 17 Deadline

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), led by its president, Joe Ajaero, has rejected the Federal Government’s plan to postpone negotiations for a new national minimum wage until June 2027, insisting that discussions should begin immediately.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the labour union communicated its position in a letter dated October 13, 2026, addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi. The Congress called for negotiations to commence by October 17, citing its interpretation of the National Minimum Wage Act.

The NLC argued that the current minimum wage of ₦70,000 had lost much of its purchasing power because of inflation, rising petrol prices and the increasing cost of essential goods and services.

The union warned that failure to address its demands within the period covered by its 14-day ultimatum could trigger an industrial dispute. However, it did not announce a specific strike date in the letter.

The Federal Government had maintained that the current minimum wage, signed into law on July 29, 2024, was not due for review until June 1, 2027. According to the government, the law provides for a review every three years, making an earlier negotiation premature.

In its response to the labour union’s demands, Dingyadi argued that reopening wage negotiations barely two years after the implementation of the existing agreement could disrupt industrial relations.

The government also highlighted measures introduced to ease economic hardship, including the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, food security programmes and other social support schemes. It said the Ministry of Labour was engaging relevant ministries, departments and agencies to address the union’s additional concerns.

The government assured the NLC that a tripartite committee involving representatives of government, employers and organised labour would be convened at the appropriate time to negotiate the next minimum wage.

However, the NLC maintained that the government’s response failed to provide concrete solutions to the challenges facing Nigerian workers.

Although the union acknowledged the ministry’s relatively swift response, it insisted that prompt communication without practical action would not resolve the dispute.

The central disagreement concerns the interpretation of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, as amended in 2024. While the government maintains that the next review should take place in June 2027, the NLC argues that the timeline should be calculated from the original legislation enacted in 2019.

According to the Congress, the original law was signed on April 18, 2019, making April 18, 2024, the date by which a review should have been due under its interpretation of the legislation.

The union argued that the 2024 amendment did not cancel the original law or eliminate the statutory timeline for reviewing the minimum wage.

The NLC also recalled that organised labour had made concessions during the 2024 negotiations after the government appealed for a reduction in the financial burden on employers and public authorities. It said those concessions should not be interpreted as an agreement to abandon the timeline for future wage reviews.

The labour centre further argued that negotiations should begin at least six months before a new wage is scheduled to take effect. It said early discussions would give the government, employers and labour representatives sufficient time to reach an agreement and prevent delays in implementation.

The union stressed that it was not demanding the immediate introduction of a new minimum wage but wanted the negotiation process to begin without further delay. It called for the nomination of representatives, the inauguration of the tripartite committee and the establishment of a clear timetable for discussions.

Beyond the legal disagreement, the NLC said the ₦70,000 minimum wage had failed to provide adequate relief because of the rising cost of living.

The Congress noted that although the current wage represented an increase from the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage, inflation and the depreciation of the naira had weakened workers’ purchasing power.

It argued that rising prices had made it increasingly difficult for many workers to afford food, housing, healthcare, education and transportation.

The union also criticised the impact of higher petrol prices, saying the increase in transportation costs had contributed to the rising prices of food and other essential commodities.

The NLC questioned whether the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative had delivered sufficient relief to ordinary Nigerians, citing concerns about inadequate facilities, gas supply challenges and limited access to vehicle conversion kits.

The Congress insisted that workers needed practical measures that would ease their financial difficulties rather than assurances about programmes whose benefits remained limited for many households.

Among its demands, the NLC called for a reduction in petrol prices to the level prevailing when the current minimum wage was signed into law in 2024. It also demanded the implementation of previously agreed tax relief measures and the introduction of immediate wage awards to help workers cope with rising living costs.

The union further urged the government to implement the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and address outstanding demands raised by the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council.

It reiterated that negotiations for a new national minimum wage should begin without further delay.

The NLC warned that continued discussions without concrete timelines and immediate relief measures would do little to address workers’ hardship. It maintained that the government needed to demonstrate a stronger commitment to improving workers’ welfare.

With the union rejecting the proposed June 2027 timeline and insisting on negotiations by October 17, the disagreement has raised concerns over a possible confrontation between organised labour and the Federal Government if the outstanding issues remain unresolved.