The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Federal Government are locked in a dispute over the timeline for reviewing the N70,000 national minimum wage, with the labour union insisting that preparations for a fresh round of negotiations must begin immediately.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made the union's position clear in a letter dated October 13, 2026, addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi. Ajaero rejected the government's argument that starting a new wage review so soon would be premature, citing the original National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, as the legal basis for the labour movement's demands.
NLC demands immediate tripartite committee setup
According to The Punch, Ajaero called on the government to begin the process by inviting nominations and setting up the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee, which brings the government, organised labour and employers together at one table. The NLC's letter came one day after Dingyadi wrote to acknowledge a communiqué from a joint session of the NLC's Central Working Committee and National Executive Council.
In that letter, dated October 12, the minister argued that the current minimum wage would only become due for review on June 1, 2027. He warned that opening another round of talks barely two years after the N70,000 wage was signed into law in July 2024 would be disruptive to industrial relations in the country.
Cost of living pressures fuel union demands
The timing of the disagreement is significant. On October 1, 2026, the NLC used its Independence Day statement to push for three things: an immediate cut in petrol prices, a nationwide wage award, and the start of minimum wage negotiations. The union's position reflects growing frustration among workers over the rising cost of living and the shrinking value of their earnings.
With both sides now trading letters and the gap between their positions still wide, it remains unclear when a formal negotiation process will get under way.
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