- Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has said Nigeria’s N70,000 national minimum wage is no longer enough to cushion workers against rising living costs.
- He urged the Federal Government to meet organised labour halfway as unions push for a higher wage, with demands reportedly reaching N500,000.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has said the N70,000 national minimum wage is no longer enough for Nigerian workers amid rising living costs.
Keyamo made the statement at the 2026 National Pre-Retirement Summit organised by XEM Consultants Limited, where he said workers’ purchasing power had been eroded by the increasing cost of goods and services.
The minister urged the Federal Government to meet organised labour halfway in ongoing wage discussions, noting that unions were demanding as much as N500,000.
Keyamo recalled that the national minimum wage was increased from N30,000 to N70,000 in 2024, but said the current amount was no longer sufficient to absorb the economic pressures facing workers.
He also criticised the treatment of workers by some government agencies, particularly situations where employees are denied basic allowances while senior officials allegedly approve substantial amounts for international trips.
“I will have none of it. Without these workers, we will not have a country,” he said.
Keyamo stressed that workers’ welfare remains central to productivity and effective public service.
Also speaking at the summit, NLC President Joe Ajaero called for government intervention to cushion workers and other Nigerians against rising fuel, transportation and food costs.
Ajaero argued that wage negotiations should focus on workers’ actual purchasing power rather than salary figures alone. He also called for wages and pensions to be linked to inflation or the cost-of-living index.
