The Federal Government has signalled a fresh review of the national minimum wage, acknowledging that the current ₦70,000 benchmark, signed into law in 2024, no longer reflects Nigeria’s prevailing economic realities.
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday at the Good Governance Summit 2026 in Abuja.
The summit, organised by Working People United under the theme, “Policies and Governance: Impact on the Working People,” examined the effects of Federal Government policies on Nigerian workers.
Gbajabiamila said the administration recognises that rising living costs have outpaced the current wage structure. He added that the government intends to review the minimum wage in collaboration with organised labour, rather than viewing labour unions as adversaries.
“This administration will approach that endeavour not as an adversary of labour, but as a partner,” Gbajabiamila said.
He recalled that President Bola Tinubu signed the ₦70,000 national minimum wage into law in July 2024, more than doubling the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage. He also noted that the statutory review cycle had been shortened from five years to three years to ensure wages keep pace with inflation and changing economic conditions.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Hon. Mohammad Dingyadi, stressed that effective governance should be measured by its impact on workers’ welfare rather than by policy announcements alone.
“Governance is not merely about policies written in documents or programmes announced from government offices. The true measure of governance is the extent to which policies translate into improved livelihoods, decent jobs, increased productivity, social protection, economic opportunities, and dignity for the working people,” Dingyadi said.
Although the Chief of Staff did not provide a timeline for announcing a revised minimum wage, he said the forthcoming review would reflect the country’s current economic realities.
