The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress have disagreed over when negotiations for a new national minimum wage should begin, with organised labour challenging the government’s interpretation of the law and demanding that preparations commence immediately.
The disagreement followed an exchange of letters between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, and NLC President, Joe Ajaero, over the timetable for reviewing the N70,000 minimum wage signed into law in July 2024.
In a letter dated 13 October, 2026, Ajaero rejected the government’s position that a fresh review would be premature, arguing that the statutory timetable under the original National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, remained relevant despite the 2024 amendment.
He said the government should begin the process by calling for nominations and inaugurating the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee, which brings together the government, organised labour and employers.
“The time is now. The appropriate time is now,” Ajaero wrote in the letter shared on Thursday, arguing that delaying the process would worsen the hardship facing Nigerian workers.
