In Abuja, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the federal government of ignoring the statutory timetable for the next national minimum‑wage review and is demanding that negotiations begin immediately rather than wait until 2027.
The NLC points to the 2024 amendment of the Minimum Wage Act, which raised the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 and shortened the review cycle from five years to three years. The new ₦70,000 rate was agreed on 28 July 2024 and back‑dated to 1 May 2024, but the union says the back‑dating does not alter the three‑year cycle established by the amendment.
Acting General Secretary Comrade Benson Upah argued that, under the law, the three‑year period should be counted from the earlier wage cycle, meaning negotiations ought to have started in June 2024. Even if the back‑dating to May is accepted, the Act requires the process to begin six months before the review, which would place the start in November 2024. The government, by contrast, maintains that the current wage is due for review on 1 June 2027.
Upah warned that the review process is lengthy, requiring hearings, consultations, a cost‑of‑living assessment and engagement with social partners. “It is important for us to start early. Why must we run on a deficit calendar when we knew full well that this thing was going to start on a so‑so date?” he said, describing the government’s timing as a sign of “unpreparedness.”
The NLC signalled it is ready to seek a judicial interpretation of the law if necessary. “On this matter, let me tell you, we can go to court for an interpretation,” Upah said, emphasizing that the three‑year cycle is a statutory provision that cannot be altered “whimsically or at their whims and caprices.”
Minimum‑wage policy is a critical labour issue in Nigeria, where the ₦70,000 figure represents the baseline earnings for millions of workers. The dispute highlights the tension between organised labour’s push for timely wage adjustments and the government’s more distant review schedule.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
