Sowore backs workers’ rejection of ₦100,000 minimum wage

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has backed Nigerian workers in rejecting a proposed ₦100,000 minimum wage, insisting that workers deserve a living wage of at least ₦500,000 monthly.

Sowore stated this in a statement issued on Monday and titled, “I Stand Firmly with Nigerian Workers in the Demand for a Living Wage of ₦500,000 Monthly.”

He argued that the current economic realities under President Bola Tinubu’s administration have made it impossible for workers to live decently on ₦100,000 per month.

“In this harsh Tinubu economy, everyone who earns a salary knows that no human being can live decently on ₦100,000 a month, yet those in positions of authority have remained silent,” he said.

According to Sowore, meaningful social progress can only occur when citizens become conscious of their circumstances and reject poverty, exploitation and inequality.

“The suffering is obvious, the injustice is clear, but too many have chosen complacency over courage,” he added.

The AAC chieftain’s position follows reports that federal workers rejected a proposed ₦100,000 minimum wage and issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address insecurity, kidnappings, killings and worsening economic hardship across the country.

Earlier, the AAC proposed a minimum living wage of ₦500,000 per month for Nigerian workers, arguing that the country’s workforce deserves compensation that reflects prevailing economic realities.

The party said the proposed wage should be complemented with sector-specific allowances for workers in critical areas such as healthcare, education, security and emergency services.

“Police officers, soldiers, teachers, doctors, nurses and all public servants who keep society running must be rewarded with dignity, fair compensation and improved welfare. A nation cannot progress while its workers remain trapped in poverty,” the party said.

The AAC maintained that a ₦500,000 monthly wage would enable workers to meet basic needs, including food, housing, transportation, healthcare and education, while improving productivity and supporting national development.

Under the proposal, workers in essential and high-risk sectors would receive additional monthly allowances ranging from ₦50,000 to ₦200,000, depending on the nature of their responsibilities.

The party said security personnel, including police officers and soldiers, would qualify for the highest allowances due to the risks associated with protecting lives and property.