Aviation Minister calls for improved workers’ pay as labour pushes for fresh wage discussions amid rising cost of living
ABUJA — Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has said Nigeria’s ₦70,000 national minimum wage is no longer sufficient to withstand the economic pressures confronting workers.
Keyamo made the statement at the 2026 National Pre-Retirement Summit organised by XEM Consultants Limited in Abuja, where he called for greater attention to workers’ welfare and urged the Federal Government to find common ground with organised labour in ongoing discussions over wages.
The minister, who previously served as Minister of State for Labour and Employment, recalled the negotiations that preceded the increase in the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 in 2024.
According to Keyamo, the economic situation has changed significantly since the new wage was introduced, with rising living costs reducing the purchasing power of workers.
He said the current minimum wage was insufficient to absorb the economic shocks confronting Nigerian workers and urged the government to give greater priority to employee welfare.
Keyamo also called for an understanding between the Federal Government and organised labour as discussions over workers’ remuneration continue.
His remarks come amid renewed labour concerns over the real value of the current minimum wage, with workers facing increased costs associated with transportation, food and other household needs.
At the same summit, Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero, also raised concerns about the purchasing power of Nigerian workers and called for measures to cushion the effects of rising fuel and living costs.
Ajaero argued that wage discussions should consider what workers can actually afford with their salaries rather than focusing only on the nominal amount.
The NLC president also advocated linking wages and pensions more closely to inflation or a cost-of-living index, arguing that such a system could allow incomes to respond more directly to significant changes in economic conditions.
Ajaero said organised labour was seeking substantially higher remuneration, with reports of demands reaching as much as ₦500,000 during the ongoing wage debate.
He further said the existing minimum-wage framework was approaching its next review period and that discussions should begin early to avoid delays.
The National Minimum Wage Act was amended in 2024 to raise the national minimum wage to ₦70,000 and reduce the statutory review cycle from five years to three years. Reports on the current discussions indicate that the next review is expected around 2027.
Keyamo also criticised the treatment of workers in some government institutions, alleging that employees could be denied basic allowances while substantial resources were approved for other official expenditures.
He stressed that workers remained central to the effective functioning of government institutions and the wider economy.
“Without these workers, we will not have a country,” the minister said, according to reports of his remarks at the summit.
The renewed debate comes as Nigerian workers and labour organisations continue to focus on the gap between nominal wages and the cost of meeting everyday needs.
While the ₦70,000 minimum wage represented a major increase from the previous ₦30,000 statutory benchmark in 2024, Keyamo’s latest comments underline concerns within the wider wage debate about whether the existing figure adequately reflects current economic conditions.
The eventual outcome of the wage discussions will involve negotiations among government, organised labour and employers, with issues including workers’ purchasing power, inflation, productivity, government finances and employers’ ability to implement any new wage agreement.
IBN News reports that the debate over Nigeria’s minimum wage is now moving toward the next statutory review, while both government and labour representatives continue to discuss how workers’ incomes can respond to changing economic conditions.
For millions of Nigerian workers, the central issue remains how far existing wages can stretch as the cost of essential goods and services continues to shape household finances.
