BREAKING: N70,000 No Longer Sustainable – NLC Cries Out

BREAKING: N70,000 No Longer Sustainable – NLC Cries Out

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and federal government workers have called for an immediate upward review of the national minimum wage, stressing that the current ₦70,000 is no longer adequate.

Their demand follows the recent moves by several states to raise the minimum wage for their workers above the ₦70,000 benchmark in response to worsening economic realities.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews, labour unions and workers argued that soaring inflation, coupled with the rising costs of food, transportation, housing, and other essentials, has rendered the ₦70,000 minimum wage unsustainable.

It will be recalled that in July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the new National Minimum Wage Bill into law, raising the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000. The revised law covers workers across the federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector.

However, on August 27, 2025, the Imo State Government raised its minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦104,000, alongside comprehensive adjustments in the salary structure of its civil servants.

In a statement to NAN on Sunday in Abuja, Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Mr. Benson Upah, said inflation has significantly weakened the value of the ₦70,000 wage, leaving many workers struggling to meet basic needs.

“The truth is that N70,000 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,” he said.