The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Federal Government workers have demanded an urgent review of the national minimum wage, insisting that the present N70,000 is no longer sustainable.
They made the demand following the bold steps taken by several states to increase the minimum wage of their workers above the N70,000 benchmark.
This was in response to the prevailing economic realities.
The labour unions and workers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews, contended that in the face of galloping inflation, rising costs of food, transportation, housing, and other essential services, a N70,000 minimum wage could no longer sustain them.
It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu signed the new National Minimum Wage Bill into law in July 2024, raising the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.
The amended law applies to the entire country, including the federal government, states, local governments, and private sector.
However, on August 27, 2025, Imo State 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 Uzodimma, had said that the salary review, arrived at during a meeting with organised labour, was part of efforts to improve the welfare of workers.
NAN also reports that before the bold and applauded step by Uzodimma, some other states had implemented higher minimum wages for their workers.
On October 16, 2024, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State announced a minimum wage increase to N85,000 with a promise to further raise it to N100,000 in 2025.