Gloria Robert, Abuja
The former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and ex-Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has declared that Nigerian workers today are poorer than their predecessors.
He made this statement while addressing members of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 during a lecture organized by the National Institute of Security Studies in Abuja.
Oshiomhole highlighted the declining value of Nigeria’s minimum wage, noting that the current minimum wage of N70,000 equates to only $42 at the current exchange rate of N1,650 per dollar.
Comparing this to the initial minimum wage set during the administration of President Shehu Shagari in 1981, he pointed out that workers then earned N125, which was about $160.
“When the minimum wage in Nigeria was first set under President Shagari, it was around N125, about $160 a month,” Oshiomhole stated. “Today, even with a 100% increase last year, the wage now equates to just $42. Working people are much poorer now than they were decades ago, and this loss in purchasing power affects their quality of life.”
Oshiomhole urged the federal government and revenue-generating states to pay more than the agreed N70,000 minimum wage, arguing that the current rate does not meet the basic economic needs of Nigerian workers.
He also called for expanding minimum wage coverage to include domestic staff and employees of smaller businesses, which would require changes to existing laws.
“The law currently applies only to companies with a minimum of 25 to 50 employees,” he explained. “In today’s economy, where small ICT firms with fewer employees can generate substantial revenue, using employee numbers as a criterion is outdated.”
