The National Labour Congress (NLC) has firmly rejected the proposal by state governors to set their own minimum wage levels. The NLC insists that the minimum wage must remain a national standard, arguing that the governors’ proposal undermines the welfare of Nigerian workers and threatens the stability of the national economy.
In a statement by the NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, the union emphasized that the minimum wage is a national concept and should not be subject to arbitrary decisions by individual state governors. “The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is compelled to address the recent statements made by some Nigerian Governors regarding their desire to pay what they deem fit to Nigerian workers as the minimum wage,” Upah stated. “This notion is not only dictatorial but also undermines the very essence as well as the model adopted for creating a national minimum wage in Nigeria.”
Upah further explained that the national minimum wage represents a wage floor, a baseline below which no worker should be paid, ensuring a minimum standard of living for all workers. He argued that allowing governors to unilaterally determine the minimum wage negates this principle and poses a significant threat to the welfare of Nigerian workers and the national economy.
The controversy arose after the Southern Governors’ Forum, comprising 17 governors from the southern part of Nigeria, proposed that each state should be allowed to negotiate a new minimum wage with labor unions. This proposal was included in a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The governors argued that the minimum wage should reflect the cost of living and the fiscal capacity of each state, noting that not all states can afford the proposed N62,000 monthly minimum wage.
Earlier, the 36 state governors had collectively proposed N57,000 as the new minimum wage, citing their inability to pay beyond this amount. This proposal came amidst ongoing demands from the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for an increase in the minimum wage from the current N30,000 to N459,000, which they argued was necessary to meet the current economic realities in the country. However, the federal government deemed this demand unsustainable, stating it would cost N9.5 trillion annually.
After extensive negotiations, labor unions settled for a proposal of N250,000, while the federal government indicated it could only afford to pay N62,000.
The NLC’s rejection of the governors’ proposal underscores the tension between labor unions and state authorities over the issue of minimum wage. As the debate continues, the call for a standardized national minimum wage remains a central demand for labor unions, aiming to ensure fair and adequate compensation for all Nigerian workers.