The organized labour movement in Nigeria has called for a shift in the approach to minimum wage adjustments, advocating for annual reviews tied to inflation rates.
Trade Union Congress, President Festus Osifo announced the demand on Wednesday, arguing that waiting three to five years for wage increments no longer aligns with the economic realities faced by Nigerian workers.
Osifo emphasized the need for the government to annually adjust the minimum wage in line with inflation data from the preceding year.
Citing the rising cost of living, he proposed that the current ₦70,000 minimum wage be reviewed each year to maintain its purchasing power.
“For example, if the inflation figure for December is 35%, apply that 35% to the ₦70,000 minimum wage so that it becomes reflective of what the true value is,” Osifo explained during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He argued that such a system would ensure that workers’ earnings remain adequate in the face of Nigeria’s persistently high inflation.
Osifo revealed that discussions on this proposal began in 2024 and will continue in 2025.
Both the TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress are united in their efforts to secure annual inflation-based adjustments.
“This is part of the position we are going to canvass this year,” he said, adding that it would replace the current practice of periodic wage reviews every three years as stipulated by law.
In July 2024, the administration of President Bola Tinubu agreed to a new minimum wage of ₦70,000 following prolonged negotiations with organized labour.
At the time, President Tinubu also reduced the wage review period from five years to three years.
However, the labour movement believes that the three-year interval is insufficient to protect workers from the adverse effects of inflation.
