NLC AND TUC ANNOUNCE MINIMUM WAGE RENEGOTIATION STARTS JULY — LAGOS LABOUR DEMANDS ₦225,000

John
4 hours ago
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FEC-approved projects target dedicated electricity supply at Nigeria's two busiest commercial ports — *Labour confirms talks at Geneva ILO conference; current ₦70,000 wage expires early 2027; Lagos branch seeks ₦225k*

Nigeria's organised labour movement has confirmed that negotiations for a new national minimum wage will begin in July 2026, with the current ₦70,000 minimum wage law set to expire in early 2027, as labour leaders simultaneously warned state governors against unilaterally setting new wage figures outside the formal negotiation process.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress made the announcement at a joint press conference held on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Organisation Conference in Geneva. NLC President Joe Ajaero said the early start to negotiations was designed to prevent the delays that have historically blighted minimum wage processes in Nigeria.

At the Geneva briefing, the labour movement said the ₦70,000 minimum wage signed into law by President Tinubu in July 2024 no longer reflects economic realities, with inflation, transport costs, rising rents, and food prices having severely eroded workers' real incomes. The NLC and TUC said they would formally write to the Federal Government on their return from Geneva to demand immediate commencement of talks.

Labour leaders acknowledged that many state governors have already recognised the ₦70,000 figure is insufficient, but urged them not to propose new figures unilaterally. "The appropriate negotiation process should be followed," the unions said.

At the state level, the Lagos chapter of the NLC has separately demanded the state minimum wage be raised from ₦85,000, Lagos's current above-national-minimum rate, to ₦225,000, citing the acute cost-of-living pressures on workers in the capital city.

For Nigerian SME employers, the July renegotiation timeline is a direct planning signal. Businesses with significant workforces should model scenarios for a meaningful wage increase and factor the outcome into their 2027 cost projections.