Nigeria’s Minimum Wage Is ₦70,000 – Isaac Fayose Fires Back At Okpebholo

Businessman and social commentator Isaac Fayose has criticised Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his recent comparison of petrol prices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Okpebholo recently said he visited a filling station in London and found that petrol cost the equivalent of more than ₦3,000 per litre after currency conversion, compared with about ₦1,400 to ₦1,500 per litre in Nigeria at the time. The governor used the comparison to argue that Nigerians were paying less for petrol and said the country was “doing very well.”

Reacting to the governor’s remarks, Fayose argued that comparing petrol prices without considering income levels and broader living conditions in both countries did not provide a complete picture.

Fayose said the purchasing power of workers should be taken into account when assessing the affordability of petrol in Nigeria and the UK.

“See Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, making mockery of himself. According to him, he travelled to London. He said someone took him to a petrol station to go and buy petrol. And when he got there, he realised that petrol in UK is ₦3,000 a litre compared to petrol in Nigeria, which is ₦1,500,” he said.

“So he is coming back home from UK with good news for you, to tell you that your own petrol is cheaper than the petrol in UK, forgetting to think,” Fayose added.

He further pointed to Nigeria’s ₦70,000 national minimum wage and compared it with minimum-wage earnings in the UK, arguing that the amount workers earn relative to the cost of basic necessities is important when discussing fuel affordability.

“Minimum wage in Nigeria is ₦70,000. That means in a month, with your salary in Nigeria, minimum wage, you can only buy 49 litres of petrol,” Fayose said.

He also cited differences in public services and living conditions, arguing that factors such as healthcare, infrastructure, electricity and security should form part of any meaningful comparison between the two countries.

“In UK, there’s free medical, the roads are good, there’s 24 hours light and security, but he didn’t factor all those ones,” he added.

Current data also shows that pump prices are only one part of the affordability question. Nigeria’s national minimum wage remains ₦70,000 per month, while the UK National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and above rose to £12.71 per hour in April 2026. UK petrol prices were around £1.74 per litre in late September, while NNPC-listed petrol prices in Nigeria varied by location, including ₦1,385 per litre in Lagos and ₦1,430 in Abuja.

Fayose’s comments have generated discussion online over whether international fuel-price comparisons should also take into account wages, purchasing power and the cost of living.

The exchange followed Okpebholo’s September 24 remarks at an “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event in Edo State, where he defended the prevailing petrol price in Nigeria by comparing it with what he encountered during his recent visit to London.