NLC, civil servants push for urgent review of minimum wage, say N70,000 no longer enough

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and federal civil servants have called on the Federal Government to urgently revisit the national minimum wage, stressing that the current ₦70,000 benchmark can no longer meet workers’ basic needs.

Their demand comes as several states across the country have raised their workers’ pay above the federal minimum in response to rising inflation and mounting living costs.

President Bola Tinubu had signed the National Minimum Wage Bill into law in July 2024, increasing the wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000. The legislation applies nationwide, covering all tiers of government and the private sector.

However, on August 27, 2025, Imo State took the lead by lifting its minimum wage to ₦104,000, alongside adjustments across its salary structure. Governor Hope Uzodinma explained the review followed discussions with organised labour as part of efforts to ease economic pressure on workers.

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Other states have also raised wages in recent months. Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Delta, Benue, Osun and Ondo have implemented increases ranging between ₦73,000 and ₦85,000, with Lagos promising a further rise to ₦100,000 in 2025.

Speaking on the situation, Mr Benson Upah, Acting General Secretary of the NLC, said inflation had rendered the current national minimum wage ineffective.

“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 preferred dialogue, industrial action remained an option if talks failed. He also urged workers to remain united and active in union activities to strengthen the collective struggle.

Mr Shehu Mohammed, President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), applauded state governors who had revised wages upward, saying their actions should serve as a wake-up call to the Federal Government.

“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.

Mohammed further argued that high electricity tariffs, transport fares, and food costs had eroded the value of ₦70,000.“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.

He also urged the federal government to back wage increases with policies to tackle the cost of living, such as affordable housing, healthcare, and subsidised transport.

Several civil servants who spoke on the issue painted a bleak picture of life under the current wage.

Mrs Kemi George lamented: “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.”

For Mr Obi Chimaobi, the hardship is unbearable. “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 said.

Another worker, Mrs Bola Akingbade, stressed that a better wage would translate into improved service delivery. “A well-paid workforce is a motivated workforce,” she said. “When workers are financially secure, they are more productive, committed, and less susceptible to corrupt tendencies. Increased minimum wage will not only improve living standards of workers, but enhance efficiency and service delivery across ministries, departments, and agencies.”