The Lagos State NLC has called for a ₦150,000 minimum wage, urging Governor Sanwo-Olu to follow Imo and Ebonyi States in raising workers’ pay amid soaring living costs
Lagos NLC Demands ₦150,000 Minimum Wage, Cites Rising Living Costs
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Chapter, has demanded an upward review of the minimum wage for workers in the state, proposing ₦150,000 as the new benchmark.
Speaking on Thursday, Lagos NLC Chairperson, Funmi Sesi, said the demand was in response to recent wage increases announced in Imo and Ebonyi States, as well as the escalating cost of living in Lagos.
Currently, Lagos workers earn ₦85,000 as minimum wage, a figure Sesi described as inadequate given the high cost of accommodation, transportation, feeding, and utilities in Nigeria’s commercial hub.
“The time has come for an upward review of minimum wage in Lagos. At least someone has taken the bull by the horns and opened the space,” she said.
Sesi urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to seize the opportunity to improve workers’ welfare without fear of criticism.
She added: “No one can blame Governor Sanwo-Olu now if he implements a higher wage for Lagos workers, because we deserve a better wage and decent working conditions commensurate with the economic realities, especially in Lagos.”
Expressing optimism, the NLC chairperson said she believes more states will follow the example of Imo and Ebonyi in raising workers’ pay.
Earlier, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State announced an increase in the minimum wage for civil servants from ₦76,000 to ₦104,000. Similarly, Ebonyi State raised its workers’ minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦90,000, according to the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebe. Read More
