NLC rejects 100,000 naira wage proposal, demands 1 million

A major labor union has rejected a proposed new national minimum wage of 100,000 naira put forward by state governors, arguing that the realistic figure should be as high as 1 million naira per month. The Nigeria Labour Congress dismissed the governors' proposal as inadequate given current economic pressures, while a separate federal workers' group threatened an indefinite nationwide strike over the wage issue and worsening insecurity.

The wage debate intensified after the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, indicated that governors were considering proposing a new minimum wage of 100,000 naira. He explained the proposal was driven by rising inflation, higher living costs, and increasing financial strain on workers, adding that governors were engaging the federal government and labor unions to arrive at a wage structure balancing worker welfare with fiscal sustainability.

In response, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah acknowledged the discussion but insisted the figure was far too low. He cited multiple economic challenges, including naira depreciation, inflation, higher electricity tariffs, increased fuel prices, reduced...