FG to review N70,000 minimum wage, says Gbajabiamila

By Progress Godfrey

ABUJA – The Federal Government announced that it intends to review the national minimum wage, arguing that the current N70,000 level no longer aligns with present economic conditions.

According to Vanguard, this decision follows less than two years after President Bola Tinubu enacted the new minimum wage, which increased the rate from N30,000 and reduced the statutory review interval from five to three years.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, revealed the information on Thursday during the Good Governance Summit 2026, hosted by Working People United (WoPU) in Abuja.

He stated that the administration acknowledges the ongoing rise in the cost of living and that workers merit wages that keep pace with economic developments.

“This administration has delivered a new national minimum wage. In July 2024 President Bola Tinubu signed into law a minimum wage of N70,000 naira, with more than double the N30,000 naira that workers had endured for years and recognising that the cost of living does not stand still, the President reduced the strategic review cycle from five years to three years, so that wages may keep closer pace with economic reality. The N70,000 wage, which was a milestone in 2024 must be honestly reassessed against today’s realities, and I can confirm to you that when the time comes to begin the process of reviewing the national minimum wage, this administration will approach that endeavour not as an adversary of labour, but as a partner,” she said.

Gbajabiamila further urged organized labour to maintain dialogue with the government, emphasizing that cooperation instead of confrontation would yield improved results for workers and the economy.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, asserted that the effect of government policies on workers is the genuine indicator of governance.

He added that policies must transcend official documents and materialise as better living standards, higher productivity, enhanced social protection, and expanded economic opportunities for citizens.

“Governance is not merely about policies written in documents or programmes announced from government offices, the true