The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have disagreed over the appropriate time to commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage, with organised labour insisting that the process must begin immediately.
The dispute centres on the interpretation of the law governing the review of the N70,000 minimum wage, which was signed into law in July 2024.
The disagreement emerged from an exchange of letters between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, and NLC President, Joe Ajaero, over the timeline for initiating negotiations on a new wage structure.
In a letter dated October 13, 2026, Ajaero challenged the Federal Government’s position that an early review would be premature, arguing that the timetable provided under the original National Minimum Wage Act of 2019 remained relevant despite the subsequent amendment.
The NLC president urged the government to begin the necessary preparations by requesting nominations and inaugurating the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee, comprising representatives of the government, organised labour and employers.
“The time is now. The appropriate time is now,” Ajaero stated in the letter shared on Thursday, warning that further delays could worsen the economic difficulties confronting Nigerian workers.
His response followed a letter dated October 12, in which Dingyadi acknowledged receipt of a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the NLC’s Central Working Committee and National Executive Council.
The minister maintained that the current minimum wage would become due for review on June 1, 2027, describing the commencement of another review barely two years after the implementation of the N70,000 wage as premature and potentially disruptive to industrial relations.
The disagreement comes amid growing concerns by organised labour over rising living costs and the declining purchasing power of workers’ salaries.
In a statement issued on October 1 to mark Nigeria’s Independence Day, the NLC called for an immediate reduction in petrol prices, a nationwide wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The statement, signed by Ajaero and titled “Our Hope Depends on the Choices We Make and the Actions We Take”, highlighted the impact of increasing transportation, food, rent and education costs on workers’ earnings.
The union also demanded the implementation of tax relief measures agreed upon with the Federal Government in October 2023, arguing that workers should not continue to shoulder the consequences of rising living costs without adequate relief.
Among its demands, the NLC called for petrol prices to be reduced to the levels recorded when the current minimum wage was signed into law in 2024. It also insisted that negotiations for a new wage commence before the end of October and that outstanding agreements with health and public sector workers be implemented.
The labour union warned that failure to address its demands within the stipulated period could force it to take further action, in line with decisions by its relevant organs.
Responding to the government’s position, Ajaero argued that the 2019 minimum wage law, signed on April 18 of that year, had envisaged a review by April 2024.
He maintained that the 2024 amendment did not nullify the original timetable, insisting that the next minimum wage should take effect by April 17, 2027, based on the timeline advanced by the union.
According to the NLC president, negotiations should begin at least six months before the relevant deadline to allow sufficient time for consultations, administrative preparations and an agreement, while preventing the accumulation of wage arrears.
On this basis, the union argued that the process should have commenced by October 17, 2026.
Ajaero stressed that labour was not demanding the immediate implementation of a new minimum wage but was seeking the early commencement of the procedures and negotiations required to reach an agreement.
Dingyadi, however, maintained that the National Minimum Wage Act of 2019, as amended by the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act of 2024, provides for a three-year review cycle, forming the basis of the government’s position that the next review is not yet due.
