As Nigeria marked the 2025 May Day, workers across the country used the occasion to raise their voices against worsening economic conditions, calling for an urgent review of the national minimum wage.
Labour leaders from different states spoke to The PUNCH, expressing concern that the current N70,000 minimum wage no longer meets the basic needs of Nigerian workers. They said inflation, increased taxes, and poor government policies had rendered the new wage almost useless.
We Are Worse Off Now
In Bayelsa State, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Julius Laye, said the average Nigerian worker is in a worse situation now than before President Bola Tinubu took office.
Laye said, “You know that the government introduced several taxes, and the hike in tariffs has impacted the workers negatively. The economic policies and the removal of subsidies have led to hyperinflation, so the minimum wage has become inadequate. Even the minimum wage is not enough to cover Medicare.”
Laye also pointed out that while government officials can afford to travel abroad for medical care, Nigerian workers cannot.
Suffering in Silence
In Ebonyi State, the NLC Chairman, Prof. Oguguo Egwu, said this year’s Workers’ Day theme, Reclaiming a Civic Space Amid Economic Hardship, reflected the pain and struggles of Nigerian workers.
Egwu said, “If you look into the face of a typical Nigerian worker, it is filled with wrinkles and darkened by suffering. Every face tells the story of poverty.”
His counterpart at the TUC, Comrade Igwe Chidi, added that the current N70,000 minimum wage, though recently implemented in the state, is already insignificant. “If you go to the market, that N70,000 cannot buy you anything,” he said.
It’s as if We Are Not Working
In Niger State, the TUC Chairman, Ibrahim Gana, said inflation had destroyed any benefit the minimum wage increase might have offered.
He said, “The situation of workers is pathetic. You collect your salary as if you didn’t even get it. The electricity tariff, the pump price of petrol, and transportation have taken all the minimum wage again.”
Gana blamed the Federal Government, saying, “Who else is responsible for these problems? It is the Tinubu government. If they had the workers’ interest at heart, they would have done something about the devaluation of the naira.”
Prices Keep Rising, Salaries Stay the Same
In Rivers State, NLC Chairman Alex Agwanwor said inflation and the high cost of living had eroded the value of workers’ wages.
He said, “Despite the salary increase, workers are still struggling to survive. Not at all, we haven’t fared better under Tinubu. All employers of labour should improve on what they have done. There is a need to immediately review the minimum wage again.”
Mounting Bills, Empty Wallets
In Imo State, NLC Chairman Comrade Chigaemezu Nwigwe said workers were drowning in bills.
“The minimum wage is a major issue every worker is facing. The present government assured us of a living wage during negotiations, but it is becoming very difficult in the face of fuel subsidy removal,” he said.
Oyo State NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins, also shared similar concerns. He said, “Under Tinubu, Nigerian workers have not fared better. Their purchasing power has been totally reduced. The rate at which food prices and transport fares increase every day without a significant increase in salary has pushed workers into poverty.”
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There Is Little to Celebrate
Lagos State NLC boss, Funmi Sessi, said 2025 had brought extreme hardship for workers.
“This year, we have witnessed hardship in the civic space like never before. Are we talking about accommodation, transportation, healthcare, education, or feeding? Prices keep rising, and nothing is being done to ease the pain,” she lamented.
In Ogun State, TUC Chairman Akeem Lasisi echoed these concerns. “As workers, we face numerous challenges including hyper-rising living costs, stagnant wages, and job insecurity. Some workers earn as little as N30,000 without any benefits,” he said.
Lasisi warned that the current minimum wage does not reflect Nigeria’s economic reality. “Under President Tinubu, there is little to celebrate,” he said.
We Thought Things Would Be Better
Benue NLC Chairman, Terungwe Igbe, said workers were hopeful after the wage increase, but the hope was short-lived.
“The prices of goods, especially food items, are way ahead of the salary,” he said.
In Edo, the NLC Chairman, Bernard Egwekhide, said workers had not fared well under the Tinubu administration due to harsh economic policies. He, however, noted that the Edo State government had set up a committee to review workers’ wages.
In Kwara State, NLC and TUC leaders also expressed disappointment. NLC Chairman Comrade Saheed Olayinka said, “We thought that the removal of the fuel subsidy would make life better for workers but the reverse is the case.” TUC Chairman, Comrade AbdulRaman Onikijipa, added, “What is happening to workers in the country is beyond lamentation.”
Senate President Responds
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised Nigerian workers for their resilience and hard work.
“We celebrate the hard work and dedication of Nigerian workers. We in the Senate and the National Assembly acknowledge your invaluable contributions to our nation’s development,” he said.
Akpabio promised that under President Tinubu and the current National Assembly, no worker would be punished for demanding their rights.
The Way Forward
Labour leaders across Nigeria agree that the solution lies in a sincere review of the national minimum wage and policies that consider the plight of ordinary workers.
As Nigeria celebrates this year’s May Day, the message from its workers is loud and clear: the cost of living is too high, and the minimum wage is too low. They want action, not just promises