Nigeria’s main labour unions have announced plans to reopen negotiations with the federal government over a new national minimum wage, arguing that soaring living costs and persistent inflation have rendered the current wage framework inadequate for millions of workers.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said they would formally request the start of discussions ahead of a scheduled 2026 review of the national minimum wage, warning that workers are struggling to cope with rising prices for food, transport, housing and healthcare.
In a joint address delivered at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva on Monday, the unions called for the adoption of what they described as a “genuine living wage” and rejected any proposal to tax the minimum wage or impose additional financial burdens on low-income earners.
“The current Act expires early next year, and we have announced that renegotiation will commence by July 2026 to avoid the painful delays of the past,” the unions said.
“As soon as we leave here, we shall write again to the government demanding the commencement of the process for renegotiating the national minimum wage.”
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Nigeria’s current minimum wage of 70,000 naira (about $45) per month was signed into law on July 18, 2024, following negotiations between organised labour and the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The president formally announced the new wage a day later, and it took effect on July 29, 2024.
The agreement initially established a three-year review cycle, replacing the previous five-year arrangement. However, the federal government announced in January 2025 that the wage would instead be reviewed every two years, bringing forward the next round of negotiations to 2026.
Labour leaders said the accelerated review timetable reflected the pace at which inflation and currency depreciation have eroded workers’ purchasing power.
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Nigeria has faced sustained inflationary pressures in recent years, driven by economic reforms, exchange-rate volatility and rising energy costs. While government officials have pointed to signs of economic recovery, labour groups argue that many households continue to experience worsening financial hardship.
According to the unions, official economic indicators fail to capture the reality facing ordinary Nigerians, many of whom are struggling to meet basic living expenses despite being employed.
“We demand nothing less than a genuine living wage that reflects today’s harsh economic realities,” the unions said in their communiqué.
“We also demand immediate relief measures by governments at all levels until a new minimum wage is signed into law.”
The labour organisations said any attempt to tax the minimum wage would further reduce workers’ disposable incomes and push more families into poverty.
“We reject outright any attempt to tax the minimum wage or impose further burdens on the poor,” they added.
The unions stressed that forthcoming negotiations should focus not only on increasing nominal wages but also on safeguarding workers’ real incomes against inflation.
They argued that repeated increases in the cost of essential goods and services have diminished the value of existing salaries, leaving many workers unable to maintain previous living standards.
The planned talks are expected to test relations between organised labour and the government, which faces competing pressures to improve workers’ welfare while maintaining fiscal discipline amid economic challenges.
For the NLC and TUC, however, the priority is ensuring that wage levels keep pace with the rising cost of living and provide meaningful relief to workers facing growing financial strain.
The unions said they would continue engaging with the government in the coming weeks as they push for the formal commencement of negotiations ahead of the July 2026 dead
