The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has denied reports that it has settled for a ₦100,000 minimum wage, stating that its next move remains confidential as officials prepare for a meeting on Monday.
A labour official, speaking to BusinessDay on Saturday, dismissed the ₦100,000 minimum wage report as “fake news.”
NLC officials emphasized that given the current economic conditions, a ₦100,000 minimum wage is insufficient for Nigerians. “Under the current economic conditions, there is no way ₦100,000 minimum wage will help any Nigerian,” one official said.
The officials revealed that their future plans are being kept confidential due to lessons learned from previous negotiations. “We are aware that some people are planting stories in the media to discredit labour, but we will not be deterred,” they added.
Illustrating the economic challenges, they noted, “How much is a bag of rice in the market? If you buy one bag of rice at ₦70,000, how much will you have left to pay for your utility bills, school fees, transportation, and even medical expenses?”
They explained that their proposal of ₦615,000 as a minimum wage was based on extensive surveys conducted nationwide, with final decisions to be released soon.
BusinessDay also learned that organized labour has scheduled a meeting for Monday, where the National Executive Committee will review reports and ongoing negotiations.
