“We’ll review N70,000 minimum wage”: Tinubu Govt pledges three-year cycle to match economic reality — Gbajabiamila

 

President Bola Tinubu’s administration will review the N70,000 national minimum wage to reflect current cost-of-living pressures, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila said Thursday.

He confirmed the review will come sooner than before after the government cut the wage cycle from 5 years to 3 years.

—“Not an adversary, but a partner” with labour—

Speaking at the Good Governance Summit 2026 organised by Working People United, WoPU, in Abuja, Gbajabiamila said the government recognizes wages must keep pace with inflation.

“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, more than double the N30,000 naira workers endured for years,” he said.

“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. I can confirm 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.”

He urged organised labour to keep engaging government constructively, saying collaboration delivers better results for workers and economic growth.

—Labour Minister: Judge governance by workers’ welfare—

Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, said policy impact on workers is the real test of governance.

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

The true measure of governance is the extent to which policies translate into improved livelihoods, decent work, increased productivity, social protection, economic opportunities, and dignity for the working people,” he said.

*—What it means–*

1. New timeline: The 3-year review cycle puts the next mandatory minimum wage review around 2027, instead of 2029 under the old 5-year rule.
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2. 2024 baseline: The N70,000 wage, signed July 2024, replaced the N30,000 rate that had stood since 2019.
3. Pressure point: With food, transport and energy costs still rising in 2026, labour unions have been pushing for an upward adjustment before the 3-year mark.

Gbajabiamila did not give a date for when review talks will start, but his pledge signals the Tinubu administration is already preparing to reassess the N70,000 benchmark.

[Source: Nigerian Tribune]