Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has voiced strong criticism against the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement posted on his X platform account, Sowore denounced the wage as inadequate, describing it as akin to slave wages.
The announcement of the new minimum wage came during a meeting in Abuja where President Tinubu engaged with leaders of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, the new wage will be subject to review every three years.
“On behalf of Nigerian workers, we reject slave wages,” Sowore declared in response to the announcement. He emphasized his dissatisfaction with the figure, echoing sentiments shared widely among labor activists and workers across the country.
President Tinubu, in his address to the labor leaders, also pledged to support the private sector and sub-national governments in meeting the wage requirements. Additionally, he committed to addressing outstanding salary issues affecting university unions, promising to utilize his discretionary powers for this purpose.
