By Jimmy Arch
Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has demanded an immediate review of workers’ pay in 2026, arguing that, given the country’s ongoing inflation and hardship, existing earnings are insufficient to cover basic living expenses.
In a New Year’s speech to Nigerians and workers, he made the plea and stated that labor would keep pushing the Federal Government to keep its pledge to guarantee workers a livable wage.
He said: “We enter this new year not with naive hope, but with a fortified resolve, strengthened by struggle and clarity. The promise of more faithful and meaningful engagement from the federal government, as pledged by the president, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, secured through our relentless pressure and collective voice, has opened a potential vista for dialogue. We acknowledge this platform and will engage deeply, consciously, and patriotically.”
The NLC has pledged to advocate for an increase in the ₦70,000 minimum wage in 2026, given the growing expenses of public transportation, healthcare, and housing, among other things.
“Given the escalating inflation and widespread suffering, we demand an urgent wage review, as workers’ income must guarantee life, not mere survival, in furtherance of Mr President’s promise to pay a living wage.
“We shall pursue this with every legitimate means at our disposal.”
He stated that the government had promised to engage organized labor in more meaningful ways, and that the NLC would actively and patriotically participate in these conversations, emphasizing that pay should be commensurate with living expenses.
“Our mobilisation in 2026 will be both strategic and tactful for the benefit of
The Nigerian nation. Real hope for Nigerians is possible only when burdens are lifted or minimised or are equitably shared, when trust is strengthened, and hopes and dreams fulfilled and not betrayed.
“Furthermore, given the escalating inflation and suffering, we demand an urgent wage review as a worker’s income must guarantee life, not mere survival in furtherance of Mr. President’s promise to pay living wages. We shall pursue this with every legitimate means at our disposal,” he said.
“In light of this, our primary message to workers and indeed, the citizenry, as we step into 2026, is to be vigilant and patriotic. On our part, our duty is crystal clear; we must organise, mobilise, and hold every tier of government accountable. We will work with and support only those governments and political actors who demonstrate, through clear, pro-people plans and actionable commitments, a genuine desire to uplift the masses from poverty and oppression.
We reject outright those mercantilistic politicians whose stock-in-trade are empty promises, divisive rhetoric, and policies that decimate our living standards for the benefit of a parasitic few,” he said.
Ajaero also urged the government to continue security measures around the country, emphasizing that protecting people and property is still the state’s top priority.
“Security remains a fundamental right, and the primary duty of any state is to guarantee it and the safety of the property.
“We acknowledge recent successes. We will continue to urge the state to build on the ongoing successes, as the people are deserving of peace and security wherever they live. The government should not look back, he said.
“The promise of 2026 is the promise of our unwavering struggle, our collective willingness to refuse to be divided by the ruling elite who seek to sow discord among us. We are the same people, workers and the masses, united by shared oppression and fear.”
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