70,000 MINIMUM WAGE NO LONGER ENOUGH TO COPE WITH RISING COST OF LIVING - AVIATION MINISTER, KEYAMO
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said the ₦70,000 national minimum wage is inadequate for Nigerian workers to cope with the current economic pressures. Keyamo spoke at the 2026 National Pre-Retirement Summit organised by XEM Consultants Limited, where he said the rising cost of living had eroded workers’ purchasing power and made an upward review of wages necessary. The minister urged the Federal Government to meet organised labour halfway in the ongoing wage discussions, noting that unions were demanding as much as ₦500,000. He recalled the negotiations that preceded the increase in the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 in 2024, but said the current wage was still insufficient to absorb the economic shocks confronting workers. Keyamo also criticised the treatment of workers by some government agencies, particularly situations where employees are denied basic allowances while senior officials allegedly approve large sums for int...