NLC has rejected lawmakers’ plan to let states decide minimum wage independently from federal law.
Ajaero warned such a move threatens workers’ rights and violates global labour conventions.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has firmly opposed any attempt by the National Assembly to move labour-related issues including the minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List of the Nigerian Constitution.
If approved, this change would give state governments the authority to set wages independently, potentially altering the current national framework for determining the minimum wage.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made this declaration on Friday during the National Administrative Council meeting of the Central Working Committee in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Ajaero described the proposed move by federal lawmakers as “an exercise in futility” and warned that such efforts could jeopardise existing protections for workers. According to him, minimum wage negotiations and decisions are recognised globally as national matters. He cited conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which consider countries as single entities in the administration of labour standards not as federations with sub-national wage systems.
He expressed concerns that the legislative push was part of a broader agenda to dismantle Nigeria’s unified wage structure and devolve labour-related matters to states, including the creation of state-level industrial courts that would independently handle labour disputes. Ajaero argued that such developments would not only violate ILO principles but also weaken the power of collective bargaining and legal protections for workers across the country.
“The National Assembly should not go into this exercise in futility unless members will also allow their respective states to determine their wages,” Ajaero said. “If they attempt to smuggle labour matters into the concurrent list, we will mobilise Nigerian workers across the country to resist it even up to election day.”
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the NLC President reiterated that any attempt to tamper with the national minimum wage would be met with stiff resistance from organised labour. He warned lawmakers against initiating policies that would worsen the economic conditions of Nigerian workers, who are already struggling under the burden of inflation and harsh living conditions.
“All over the world, there is a recognised minimum wage for protecting workers’ welfare,” he stated. “In Nigeria, the law currently places the minimum wage at ₦70,000. While this figure is the legal baseline, states are permitted to pay above it and many already do. However, allowing each state to decide their own minimum wage would lead to disparity, exploitation, and the erosion of workers’ rights.”
Ajaero added that the NLC was not aware of any state currently refusing to comply with the new ₦70,000 minimum wage law, and urged continued adherence to national labour standards.
Turning to the delayed implementation of local government autonomy, the NLC leader highlighted the importance of seeking further clarification from the Supreme Court. He stressed that the court’s interpretation is necessary to ensure that the autonomy granted to local governments by the Constitution is not only upheld in theory but enforced in practice.
He concluded by calling on lawmakers to prioritise policies that reflect fairness, justice, and national unity rather than fragmenting vital institutions such as the labour system, which he noted serves as a crucial pillar of national stability.
