Organised labour has set July 2026 as the commencement date for renegotiating the National Minimum Wage, in a bid to avoid the delays that characterised previous negotiations before the current agreement expires early next year.
In a joint Workers’ Day address, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, and Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Festus Osifo, said early engagement is essential to shield workers from worsening economic hardship.
“To avoid a repeat of the painful delays of the past, the process of renegotiating the National Minimum Wage, which expires early next year, will commence by July 2026,” they stated.
Ahead of a new wage framework, the labour centres also demanded interim financial relief for workers.
They called for the payment of 100 per cent of workers’ basic salaries from July 2026 until a new National Minimum Wage Act is enacted, to cushion the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
“We hope that those entrusted with leadership will rise to this moment with the seriousness, humility, and commitment that the times demand,” they added.
Linking wage negotiations to broader economic concerns, Ajaero and Osifo warned that rising national debt and widening inequality pose risks to long-term stability if growth remains exclusionary.
“With national debt estimated at about N200 trillion, the country must redirect its economic strategy towards job creation, productive capacity, and inclusive growth. An economy that serves only the top one per cent while leaving the remaining 99 per cent behind is unsustainable, as it breeds inequality, dependence, and instability,” they said.
