NLC Demands ₦1 Million Minimum Wage, Dismisses ₦100,000 Proposal as Unrealistic

Benson Upah, spokesperson for the Nigeria Labour Congress, says the proposed ₦100,000 national minimum wage falls far below what workers need. He tells The Punch that current economic pressures justify a monthly wage of ₦1 million. Upah points to naira depreciation, soaring inflation, higher electricity tariffs and rising fuel prices as key factors eroding the average worker’s purchasing power. He argues that improved government revenues, including recent windfalls to the treasury, could support a much higher pay level. In July, the Federal Government approved a ₦70,000 minimum wage after lengthy talks with organised labour. Unions maintain that this figure still fails to keep pace with living costs intensified by subsidy removals and the naira float. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has yet to submit any formal wage proposal to the Federal Government or organised labour, even as debates over fair remuneration intensify.

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