‘₦70,000 Is No Longer Enough’: Keyamo, Labour Confront Nigeria’s Wage Reality

Now, even a federal minister is saying it is no longer enough.

Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo said the current national minimum wage cannot withstand the economic pressure facing Nigerian workers.

The remark came as Nigeria’s labour leadership called for government intervention following rising fuel and transport costs.

NLC President Joe Ajaero argued that increased oil revenue should be used to cushion Nigerians from the effects of higher energy prices.

He also said minimum-wage discussions should begin early because the current three-year review cycle is approaching its next stage.

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There is an important irony here.

The minimum wage is supposed to protect workers from hardship.

But if transport, food, rent and other basic costs rise faster than wages, the number printed on the payslip can remain unchanged while its real value quietly disappears.

Ajaero therefore argued for wages and pensions to be indexed to inflation or the cost-of-living index.

That would change the debate from “How much should workers earn?” to “How much can that wage actually buy?”

For workers, the second question is probably the one that matters when the market opens tomorrow morning. ValidViewNetwork reports.