The Nigeria Labour Congress is pressing Nigeria’s federal government to open minimum-wage talks before its two-week ultimatum expires, saying rising costs have eroded workers’ purchasing power as reports disagree on the deadline.
An Oct. 7 communiqué, issued after a joint meeting of the union’s National Executive Council and Central Working Committee, set the two-week ultimatum to begin Oct. 9. The NLC called for petrol prices to return to their 2024 level, tax relief, wage awards and implementation of agreements involving the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council. The communiqué said, “The government cannot continue to demand sacrifice from workers while not offering any relief to the suffering masses and workers.”
In an Oct. 13 letter to Labour and Employment Minister Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, NLC President Joe Ajaero urged the government to begin renegotiations, seek nominations for a tripartite committee and inaugurate it.
The National Minimum Wage Act, amended in 2024, sets the monthly minimum wage at ₦70,000 and says it expires after three years. It requires the tripartite committee to be convened no later than six months before the wage expires. The committee includes representatives from the government, organized labor and the private sector.
The Guardian and THISDAY, quoting an Oct. 12 response from Dingyadi, reported that he considered an earlier review premature and said the ₦70,000 wage was due for review on June 1, 2027.
Vanguard reported that the Labour Ministry’s invitation scheduled a conciliation meeting with NLC leaders in Abuja for Oct. 22 at 8 a.m. ET (12:00 UTC). The meeting’s outcome was not confirmed in the report.
A senior NLC official told BusinessDay the union would not withdraw its ultimatum and would decide its next move after consultations with its organs.
The NLC communiqué starts the two-week period on Oct. 9 but gives no calendar end date. Vanguard reported that it expires Oct. 23, while BusinessDay put the deadline on Oct. 24.
