June 25 (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has signalled plans to review Nigeria’s ₦70,000 national minimum wage, acknowledging that the current benchmark may no longer adequately reflect prevailing economic realities amid rising inflation and mounting cost-of-living pressures.
The indication was given on Thursday by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Good Governance Summit 2026 organised by Working People United (WoPU) in Abuja, where he said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to ensuring that workers’ wages keep pace with economic conditions.
Gbajabiamila noted that the government had taken a significant step in July 2024 when President Tinubu signed into law a new national minimum wage of ₦70,000, more than doubling the previous ₦30,000 benchmark that had been in place for several years.
He recalled that the administration also amended the wage review framework by reducing the statutory review cycle from five years to three years, a move aimed at enabling salaries to better respond to changing economic circumstances.
“This administration has delivered a new national minimum wage. In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed into law a minimum wage of ₦70,000, more than double the ₦30,000 that workers had endured for years”, he noted.
According to him, the decision to shorten the review cycle was informed by the recognition that economic conditions and living costs evolve rapidly and require more frequent adjustments to workers’ earnings.
“Recognising that the cost of living does not stand still, the President reduced the strategic review cycle from five years to three years, so that wages may keep closer pace with economic reality. The ₦70,000 wage, which was a milestone in 2024, must be honestly reassessed against today’s realities, and I can confirm to you that when the time comes to begin the process of reviewing the national minimum wage, this administration will approach that endeavour not as an adversary of labour, but as a partner”, Gbajabiamila stated.
Gbajabiamila urged organised labour to sustain dialogue and constructive engagement with the government, stressing that cooperation rather than confrontation would produce more sustainable outcomes for workers and the broader economy.
Also speaking at the summit, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, said the true test of governance lies not in policy pronouncements but in the extent to which government actions improve the lives and welfare of citizens.
He argued that policies must translate into tangible benefits, including decent jobs, higher productivity, stronger social protection systems and expanded economic opportunities.
“Governance is not merely about policies written in documents or programmes announced from government offices. The true measure of governance is the extent to which policies translate into improved livelihoods, decent work, increased productivity, social protection, economic opportunities, and dignity for the working people”, Dingyadi said.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of Working People United, Williams Akporeha, described workers as the foundation of Nigeria’s economy and development efforts.
“There’s no economy without the working people, there’s no productivity without the working people, and there’s no national development”, he added.
Akporeha noted that the summit brought together workers from various sectors of the economy to deliberate on governance, labour welfare and national development, describing the gathering as a unique platform for advancing the interests of working Nigerians.
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