The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the immediate constitution of a tripartite committee to negotiate a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers, warning that the current N70,000 wage has already been eroded by inflation.
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The demand was contained in an Independence Day message issued by the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday, in which the labour centre said the process for a new wage standard expected to take effect in 2027 should begin without further delay.
The NLC said the current minimum wage had lost significant value even before its implementation, against the backdrop of rising inflation, transportation costs, food prices, rent and other basic necessities.
“The current ₦70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” the Congress said, demanding “the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to ensure that a new wage standard for 2027 is formulated and legislated before the year runs out.”
According to the labour centre, delaying the constitution of the committee could further prolong the process and undermine the timely implementation of a new wage regime.
The NLC’s position comes amid continuing pressure from organised labour over the rising cost of living, particularly the impact of petrol prices on workers’ purchasing power. Public sector unions under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council have also demanded the immediate commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to take effect in 2027.
Beyond the minimum wage, Ajaero called on the Federal Government to immediately reduce the price of petrol, arguing that transportation costs had become a major driver of the rising cost of living.
“Petrol now sells at ₦1,430 per litre or higher in major cities and far more in remote areas,” the NLC said, adding that the resulting increase in transportation costs was driving up the prices of food, school fees, rent and other necessities.
It therefore demanded that the government “seek ways to immediately reduce the price of petrol as transportation costs are the central transmission mechanism of inflation in Nigeria.”
The Congress also demanded the immediate implementation of a nationwide wage award for workers at the federal, state and local government levels, describing the measure as an emergency response to the erosion of workers’ real income.
“A wage award is not charity. It is an emergency intervention against the collapse of real income,” the labour centre said.
It further asked the Federal Government to implement the tax relief agreed with labour during the October 2023 dialogue, saying the tax incentives contained in the Memorandum of Understanding between both sides had yet to be implemented.
The NLC also renewed its demand for a reduction in the cost of governance, insisting that the government must demonstrate transparency and lead by example at a time when workers are being asked to make sacrifices.
“When workers are asked to tighten their belts, the extravagance and waste of the governing class are unacceptable,” it said.
On the broader economic situation, the labour centre said Nigeria’s Independence anniversary should provide an opportunity to reflect on whether political independence had translated into economic freedom and dignity for citizens.
It said the country was currently facing “a full-scale survival crisis”, with structural inflation eroding wages and increasing the cost of basic goods and services.
The Congress also called for greater investment in roads, hospitals, schools and other social infrastructure, arguing that good roads were essential to reducing transportation costs and improving economic efficiency.
It equally urged the government to create genuine economic opportunities for young Nigerians, warning that unemployment, poverty and inequality were contributing to desperation and irregular migration.
“The government must create genuine opportunities so that young people can see hope instead of being preached to about hope,” the NLC said.
The labour centre also linked insecurity to the country’s economic difficulties, saying farmers, teachers, doctors and other workers in some parts of the country were increasingly affected by violence.
It argued that addressing poverty, unemployment, inequality and what it described as distributive injustice was necessary for sustainable economic recovery.
The NLC said its demands were aimed at ensuring that the gains of independence were reflected in the living conditions of Nigerian workers and the wider population.
“Hope exists, but it will not fall from the sky,” the Congress said. “Hope depends on the decisions we make and the actions we take as trade unions, workers, and as a people.”
It pledged to continue pressing for decent wages, safe workplaces, accountability in governance and a life of dignity for Nigerian workers.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress will always stand on the side of workers, fighting to the end for decent wages, safe workplaces, and a life of dignity,” Ajaero said.
The Congress urged the government to respond to the demands, stressing that the process of negotiating a new minimum wage for 2027 could no longer be delayed.
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