Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, says a minimum wage review is coming soon. He made the remarks at Abuja's Good Governance Summit on Wednesday.
The N70,000 minimum wage, introduced in July 2024, can no longer sustain workers given current economic conditions. Gbajabiamila noted that what was groundbreaking just months ago has already lost its purchasing power.
"This administration will approach that endeavor not as an adversary of labour, but as a partner," he told summit participants. He stressed the government recognizes the cost of living continues to climb unpredictably.
President Tinubu doubled the previous N30,000 minimum wage when he signed it into law last year. He also shortened the wage review cycle from five to three years to keep pace with inflation.
Gbajabiamila acknowledged the administration's first three years haven't been smooth sailing. Still, he defended the government's commitment to workers and their families.
Labour Minister Mohammad Dingyadi shared a similar message at the summit. According to him, policies on paper mean nothing without real implementation.
"Governance is not merely about policies written in documents," Dingyadi told the gathering. "True governance is when policies translate into better lives for workers."
He emphasized that improved livelihoods, social protection, and economic dignity for the working class are what truly matter. Implementation gaps between policy and practice remain a challenge across government, he suggested.
Williams Akporeha, National Coordinator of Working People United (WoPU), stressed workers drive everything. Without them, there's no economy, no productivity, and no national progress, he argued.
"What we're witnessing today is an unprecedented historic convergence of Nigeria's productive engine," Akporeha said. He described the summit as far more than a standard political gathering.
WoPU organized the summit under the theme "Policies and Governance: Impact on the Working People." Organizers sought to bring stakeholders together to discuss workers' welfare and governance effectiveness.
The summit brought together government officials, labour leaders, and civil society representatives in one space. Their focus: ensuring workers benefit when policies actually reach implementation stage.
