'Workers Are Under Immense Pressure, ₦70,000 is Not Sustainable Under This Present Economic Situation' - Labour, Workers Demand Minimum Wage Review

By: Israel Adeleke

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that in response to the prevailing economic realities, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and federal government workers have demanded an urgent review of the national minimum wage, insisting that the current ₦70,000 is no longer sustainable.

OTN News further reports as gathered that the labour unions and workers who made this demand while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN), contended that, in the face of galloping inflation, rising costs of food, transportation, housing, and other essential services, the N70,000 minimum wage could no longer sustain them, and many workers are under immense pressure.

OTN News observes that thier demands, follow the bold steps taken by several states across the country, to increase the minimum wage of their workers above the N70,000 benchmark, in response to the prevailing economic realities.

OTN News recalls that President Bola Tinubu, in July 2024, signed the new National Minimum Wage Bill into law, rising the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.

OTN News further recalls that the amended law applies to the entire country, including the federal government, states, local governments, and the private sector.

In Aug. 27, 2025, Imo increased the minimum wage from N70,000 to N104,000, along with corresponding increases in the entire salary structure for the state’s civil servants.

The state Governor, Hope Uzodinma, had said that the salary review which arrived during a meeting with organised labour was part of efforts to improve the welfare of workers.

OTN News also recalls that, before Uzodinma’s bold and applauded step, some other states had implemented higher minimum wages for their workers.

On Oct. 16, 2024, the Lagos state governor, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced a minimum wage increase to ₦85,000, with a promise to further raise it to 100,000 in 2025.

Rivers State equally approved ₦85,000 minimum wage on October 18, 2024, while Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu and Akwa Ibom states approved 80,000 for their workers.

Ogun and Delta states are implementing a N77,000 minimum wage, Benue and Osun states raised the wage to N75,000, while Ondo state pegged its own to N73,000.

Speaking to NAN in a separate interview, the labour unions and workers expressed their different dissatisfactions.

 The Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Mr Benson Upah, told NAN on Sunday in Abuja that inflation has eroded the value of the N70,000 minimum wage, leaving many workers unable to meet basic needs.

According to him, “the truth is that ₦70,000 is not sustainable under the present economic situation. Workers are under immense pressure, and unless the government responds quickly, the crisis of survival will only worsen.

“We have since engaged the Federal Government on this matter at different times and fora. It is our hope that the government would see both the economic and moral obligations to do so expeditiously,” he said.

Upah noted that while labour would continue to pursue dialogue, industrial action may be considered if negotiations fail.

He, however, urged workers to remain united and active in union activities to strengthen the collective struggle.

Similarly, the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Mr Shehu Mohammed, who commended the state governors who had revised their minimum wage, described the move as a welcome development and a wake-up call.

The ASCSN president stated that the steps taken by sub-national governments should serve as a signal to the federal government.

According to him, right from the beginning, during the negotiation, our demand was for a living wage, and we submitted ₦250,000 as a reasonable benchmark.

“We told the government that anything short of that, only takes a worker to the gate of the office, not back home,” he said.

He explained that with high electricity tariffs, transportation, and food prices skyrocketing, ₦70,000 has lost its value.

“Let’s be realistic. Even if you pay electricity bills out of ₦70,000, what remains cannot sustain a family for 10 days,” he added.

Mohammed further urged the federal government to complement wage increases with broader policies to reduce the cost of living, including affordable housing, healthcare, and subsidised transport.

A cross-section of federal government workers who spoke to NAN also expressed concerns over the harsh economic situation.

Mrs Kemi George, a civil servant, said the economic realities were becoming increasingly frustrating.

“By the time I pay transport to work and buy food, nothing is left. Rent and school fees are almost impossible to cover.

“It is only God that has been sustaining us because our take-home pay is nothing compared to what we spend in a month,” she said.

Another worker, Mr Obi Chimaobi, described the situation as unbearable, saying the harsh economy has pushed many families into hardship.

He said that it was nearly impossible for the average worker to survive on the current minimum wage of ₦70,000.

“Things are no longer affordable. A bag of rice is now like gold, transport fares keep rising daily, and with ₦70,000, you are already in debt before the month even ends.

“The Federal Government must act very fast in reviewing workers’ wages.

“The federal government must also recognise that reviewing the minimum wage is not merely about appeasing labour unions.

” It is about restoring dignity to work and reaffirming the social contract between government and the governed,” he added.

In the same vein, another civil servant, Mrs Bola Akingbade, said “a well-paid workforce is a motivated workforce”.

She reiterated that, when workers are financially secure, they are more productive, committed, and less susceptible to corrupt tendencies.

According to her, increased minimum wage will not only improve the living standards of workers but also enhance efficiency and service delivery across ministries, departments, and agencies.

On his part, Mr. Jeremiah Okon noted that if states with limited revenue allocations could recognize the need for upward wage adjustments, it would become imperative for the federal government to do the same.

Okon said it will be fair and equitable for the federal government and the other states to adjust the minimum wage from N70,000 to, at least N150,000.

He, however, urged the government at all levels not to see the increased minimum wage as a burden, but as a tool for economic revitalisation.