The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna State Council, has called on the Federal Government to consider increasing the national minimum wage to N500,000, insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s proposed N70,000 monthly transport allowance is not enough to cushion the economic hardship facing Nigerian workers.
The union acknowledged that the additional allowance would provide some relief to civil servants but warned that it would not significantly address the rising cost of living across the country.
The demand comes amid growing debate over the Federal Government’s plan to introduce a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for workers.
Former NLC President and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, had earlier defended the initiative, describing it as a significant improvement in workers’ earnings.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Oshiomhole argued that a worker earning the current N70,000 minimum wage would effectively receive N140,000 with the additional transport support.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration deserved credit for making efforts to improve workers’ welfare despite the prevailing economic challenges.
However, the Kaduna State NLC chairman, Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman, disagreed with the suggestion that the allowance was sufficient to address workers’ financial difficulties.
Suleiman explained that workers were still struggling with the increasing costs of food, transportation, accommodation, education, healthcare, electricity and cooking gas.
According to him, the proposed N70,000 transport allowance should be regarded as temporary relief rather than a lasting solution to the economic challenges confronting Nigerian families.
Providing a breakdown of workers’ expected earnings, the labour leader said an employee earning the N70,000 minimum wage would receive a combined N170,000 monthly when the N30,000 wage award and proposed N70,000 transport allowance are included.
Despite this increase, he maintained that the amount remained inadequate considering the current cost of living.
Consequently, Suleiman called for fresh minimum wage negotiations, suggesting that discussions should begin at N500,000 to reflect the prevailing economic realities.
He also urged the Federal and state governments to introduce measures capable of reducing the cost of essential goods and services.
Among his recommendations were affordable public transportation and policies aimed at reducing the financial burden on Nigerian households.
The NLC’s demand comes as millions of workers continue to grapple with declining purchasing power following the removal of the petrol subsidy and rising prices of essential commodities.
The union insists that improving workers’ welfare requires more than additional allowances, stressing the need for sustainable wage adjustments and policies that will make basic necessities affordable.
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