The Federal Government has indicated that the current ₦70,000 national minimum wage may be reviewed, saying the benchmark no longer fully reflects prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of living faced by Nigerian workers.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday at the Good Governance Summit 2026 organised by Working People United in Abuja.
The development comes less than two years after President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law in July 2024, raising it from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 and reducing the wage review cycle from five years to three years.
Gbajabiamila said the administration recognises that the cost of living does not remain static and that workers’ wages must be reassessed in line with current economic conditions.
“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 said.
He added that the President shortened the review cycle from five years to three years so that wages could keep closer pace with economic realities.
“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 said.
He urged organised labour to sustain dialogue with the government, stressing that cooperation rather than confrontation would produce better outcomes for workers and the economy.
Also speaking at the summit, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, said the real test of governance is the extent to which policies improve the lives of citizens, especially working people.
According to him, policies must go beyond official pronouncements and translate into decent work, improved livelihoods, higher productivity, social protection and 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.
The National Coordinator of Working People United, Williams Akporeha, said workers remain central to Nigeria’s economy and development.
“There’s no economy without the working people, there’s no productivity without the working people, and there’s no national development,” he said.
Akporeha described the summit as a rare gathering of workers across different sectors, united by a common vision to advance national growth and improve the welfare of Nigerians.
The Federal Government’s latest position is expected to reopen debate over wages, inflation, living costs and the purchasing power of workers, especially as labour groups continue to demand stronger measures to cushion economic hardship.
