The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced it is preparing for a major nationwide campaign in 2026 to secure a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage, while also demanding the creation of a national minimum pension for retirees. NLC President Joe Ajaero made the declaration during the commissioning of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja, as reported by Vanguard on Sunday, July 19.
NLC Demands National Minimum Pension Alongside Wage Review
Ajaero stated that discussions about worker welfare can no longer be separated from the welfare of retirees, describing it as a historical injustice that those who gave decades of service are often left to live below the poverty line. He said: "The Nigeria Labour Congress will not only push for a new national minimum wage but will also demand the establishment of a national minimum pension. It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth, strength and productive years to the service of this nation should be condemned to live below the poverty line after retirement."
He pointed to the soaring cost of food, healthcare, and transportation as evidence that existing pension arrangements have become inadequate, calling them "poverty wages" that strip retirees of their dignity. Ajaero added: "We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation."
NLC President Urges Unity Among Workers and Pensioners
Ajaero told pensioners that their union, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), remains one of the congress's proud affiliates and that its battles are fully shared by organised labour. "Your struggle is our struggle, and your welfare remains a priority for the organised labour movement," he said, calling on both workers and pensioners to prepare for the ideological and economic fights ahead.
He urged pensioners to treat the newly commissioned Legacy House as more than a building, describing it as a potential hub for mobilisation and strategic action as the broader struggle takes shape. He also demanded the immediate settlement of all outstanding pension arrears, warning that the working class must remain as united as those who profit from its labour.
Ajaero concluded: "Those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees."
Background: Recent Minimum Wage Increase and Cost-of-Living Crisis
In July 2024, the minimum wage rose from N30,000 to N70,000 per month after Nigeria's two biggest union federations, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), argued that soaring prices and a weakening currency caused by reforms instituted by President Bola Tinubu were hitting workers hard. Africa's most populous nation is grappling with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, igniting constant complaints from government critics.
Earlier, Festus Osifo, president of the TUC, said that organised labour is pushing for an annual increase in the national minimum wage paid to workers in Nigeria. The TUC boss stated that members of the organisation, as well as their colleagues in the NLC, have begun talks on the issue.
