The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress warned that workers can no longer handle growing living expenses as inflation continues to erode real salaries, and they announced that they will resume talks with the Federal Government on a new national minimum wage.
The unions are advocating for a “genuine living wage” to take the place of the current system, which they claim no longer accurately reflects Nigeria’s economic reality, especially the dramatic rise in the cost of housing, food, transportation, and healthcare.
The unions condemned any proposal to tax the minimum wage or place further financial obligations on low-income earners in a unified speech given on Monday at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva.
On July 18, 2024, an agreement between organized labor and the federal government established Nigeria’s current minimum salary of N70,000. On July 19, 2024, President Bola Tinubu formally announced the wage, which went into effect on July 29, 2024.
In contrast to the prior five-year structure, the agreement initially established a three-year review cycle. The Federal Government, however, changed the framework in January 2025 and declared that the minimum wage would henceforth be reviewed every two years, with 2026 serving as the next review point.
In an effort to avoid the delays that have frequently hampered prior minimum wage assessments, labor groups stated that they plan to formally begin talks with the federal government before to the July 2026 pay renegotiation date.
“To prevent the agonizing delays of the past, we have announced that renegotiation will begin by July 2026 since the existing Act ends early next year. We will write to the government once more as soon as we leave here, demanding the start of the process for renegotiating the national minimum wage,” the unions declared.
The labor leaders claimed that official economic data do not accurately reflect the everyday realities of the majority of households and that workers are already under tremendous strain due to inflation, currency depreciation, and growing expenses across critical services.
They cautioned that raising the minimum wage would exacerbate economic hardship and poverty at a time when many residents are finding it difficult to meet their fundamental needs.
“We want nothing less than a real living wage that takes into account the difficult economic conditions of today. Until a new minimum wage is enacted, we also call on governments at all levels to take immediate relief measures. We categorically reject any attempt to tax the minimum wage or impose further burdens on the poor,” the unions stated in their communiqué.
The unions emphasized that actual salaries, which they claimed have been gradually diminished by inflation, must be protected in the next negotiations rather than just nominal salary changes.
Additionally, they warned that delays could exacerbate labor tensions nationwide and encouraged the federal and state governments to provide temporary relief measures while discussions are ongoing.
The labor movement used the Geneva platform to draw attention to more general economic and social issues, such as rising rates of poverty, unemployment, and insecurity, in addition to wage problems.
They said that commuting has become more risky for workers due to instability in several regions of the nation, with murders, kidnappings, and relocation having an impact on livelihoods and productivity.
The unions claim that in the first quarter of this year, there were around 2,000 fatalities, millions of displaced people, and disruptions to entire neighborhoods and economic activity due to violence.
They cautioned that if rising insecurity is not immediately addressed, workers may be forced to stay at home as a survival strategy, heightening tensions beyond regular labor action.
The labor leaders added that 150 million Nigerians, or around 65% of the country’s population, are projected to be living in multidimensional poverty as a result of diminishing purchasing power, job losses, and inflation.
They maintained that although macroeconomic reforms are intended to stabilize the economy, they have not yet resulted in higher living standards for common people.
The unions stated that they are creating a charter of demands to guide their interactions with political players and guide their support for candidates as the 2027 general elections draw near. They added that they will only support candidates who pledge to enhance security, provide efficient public services, implement wage reforms, and defend workers’ rights.
Concerns over purported meddling in union matters in some states were also voiced by the labor movement, which accused some governments of weakening democratically elected labor leadership structures.
They emphasized that any attempt to undermine union autonomy or impose outside control on labor organizations would be met with resistance from organized labor.
The unions stated that establishing a wage structure that reflects economic realities and shields workers from further income erosion remained their top objective as the existing wage regime gets closer to its 2026 review window.
They insisted that whether Nigerian workers earn what they called a “living wage” or continue to face more dire financial circumstances will depend on the outcome of the impending discussions.
