Organised labour in Nigeria has demanded a new national minimum wage of ₦154,000 for public sector workers, citing worsening economic hardship and declining purchasing power across the country.
The demand was put forward by the National Public Service Negotiating Council (NPSNC), which represents key labour unions in the public service. In a formal communication addressed to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the council called for a comprehensive upward review of salaries and allowances.
According to the council, the proposed figure represents a 120 percent increase on current wage structures and is intended to reflect prevailing economic realities. The demand followed deliberations at a meeting held in Abuja, where labour leaders assessed the impact of inflation and rising living costs on workers.
Labour leaders argued that public servants are increasingly struggling to meet basic needs due to surging prices of food, transportation, housing, healthcare, and education. They noted that persistent inflation and fuel price increases have significantly eroded the real value of wages, leaving many workers unable to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
Describing current conditions as untenable, the council warned that workers are being pushed into what it termed a “life of servitude,” stressing that previous salary adjustments have failed to keep pace with economic pressures.
Beyond the headline wage increase, the union also proposed structural reforms, including the introduction of periodic cost-of-living adjustments tied to inflation, harmonisation of wages across government ministries and agencies, and the inclusion of welfare incentives such as subsidised housing and transportation.
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The council urged the federal government to immediately initiate negotiations through relevant bodies, particularly the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, to develop a new salary template reflecting the proposed minimum wage.
While pressing its demands, organised labour reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue but cautioned that failure to act promptly could heighten tensions within the workforce and potentially disrupt industrial harmony.
The latest push comes less than two years after prolonged negotiations between labour unions and the federal government led to the approval of a ₦70,000 minimum wage in 2024, following a nationwide strike driven by similar cost-of-living concerns.
