Negotiations between Nigeria’s federal government and organized labor are due to resume Tuesday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) presses for wage and fuel measures and keeps nationwide action in reserve.
BusinessDay reported that the NLC expects the Federal Government to respond to demands organized labor has already put forward. The union is seeking talks now on a replacement national minimum wage, before the current pay floor reaches its next review date. EconoTimes previously covered the NLC’s call for wage talks before its ultimatum expired.
The current wage is ₦70,000 a month and took effect in 2024. The NLC wants petrol prices brought back to the level prevailing when the wage was signed into law. It is also seeking immediate wage awards, implementation of previously agreed tax relief measures, and resolution of outstanding allowances and other agreements affecting public employees, including health workers, BusinessDay reported.
BusinessDay reported that the Federal Government says the 2019 National Minimum Wage Act, as amended in 2024, places the next review on June 1, 2027, under its three-year cycle. The law sets the monthly minimum at ₦70,000 and requires a three-party committee representing government, labor and the private sector to convene at least six months before the wage expires.
The NLC says rising living costs have eroded workers’ purchasing power. It argues that higher petrol prices have raised transportation costs and contributed to more expensive food and other essentials.
The Oct. 22 meeting ended without agreement. BusinessDay reported that the government delegation reportedly lacked the mandate to negotiate substantively, then asked for more time so ministers and agency heads could attend. The newspaper cited a joint statement signed by acting NLC General Secretary Benson Upah and Trade Union Congress Secretary-General Nuhu Toro; the signatories said the session produced no concrete commitments.
The NLC extended its two-week ultimatum through Oct. 27 to allow further negotiations, BusinessDay reported. The union has told affiliate unions and state councils to get ready for a possible strike, while keeping nationwide action on the table if the government makes too little progress. The Oct. 27 meeting is the next scheduled step.
