The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared its intention to push for an upward review of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage in 2026, despite the wage having received approval from the federal government in July 2024.
The labour body hinged its position on the continued rise in the cost of living across the country, citing increases in public transportation fares, healthcare expenses, house rents and other basic necessities as major pressures confronting Nigerian workers.
Under the Minimum Wage Act enacted in 2024, the next statutory review of the wage is scheduled for 2027, following President Bola Tinubu’s decision to shorten the wage review cycle from five years to three years in response to prevailing economic realities.
However, in a New Year message signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress demanded an urgent review of the current minimum wage to reflect the nation’s worsening economic conditions.
The union stated: “Given the escalating inflation and widespread suffering, we demand an urgent wage review, as workers’ income must guarantee life, not mere survival, in furtherance of Mr President’s promise to pay a living wage.
“We shall pursue this with every legitimate means at our disposal.”
The NLC described 2025 as a “challenging” year that “exposed our vulnerabilities,” while commending Nigerian workers for their resilience in the face of economic hardships experienced throughout the outgoing year.
It said: “We enter this new year not with naive hope, but with a fortified resolve, strengthened by struggle and clarity. The promise of more faithful and meaningful engagement from the federal government, as pledged by the President, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, secured through our relentless pressure and collective voice, has opened a potential vista for dialogue. We acknowledge this platform and will engage deeply, consciously and patriotically.”
While calling on workers across the country to remain vigilant and patriotic, the labour union assured that its leadership would continue to organise, mobilise and demand accountability from all levels of government.
It added: “We will work with and support only those governments and political actors who demonstrate, through clear, pro-people plans and actionable commitments, a genuine desire to uplift the masses from poverty and oppression.
“We reject outright those mercantilistic politicians whose stock-in-trade are empty promises, divisive rhetoric and policies that decimate our living standards for the benefit of a parasitic few.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress further assured workers that it would embark on tactful and strategic mobilisation in 2026 in the overall interest of the Nigerian nation.
It said: “Real hope for Nigerians is possible only when burdens are lifted or minimised, or equitably shared; when trust is strengthened, and hopes and dreams are fulfilled, not betrayed.
“Security remains a fundamental right, and the primary duty of any state is to guarantee it, along with the safety of lives and property.
“We acknowledge recent successes and will continue to urge the state to build on the ongoing efforts, as the people deserve peace and security wherever they live. The government should not look back.
“The promise of 2026 is the promise of our unwavering struggle, our collective willingness to refuse to be divided by the ruling elite who seek to sow discord among us. We are the same people, workers and the masses, united by shared oppression and fear.”
