Increase minimum wage: N70k swallowed by petrol cost, Atiku tells Tinubu

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently increase the national minimum wage, arguing that the current N70,000 is no longer sufficient to sustain Nigerian workers due to the soaring cost of living.

At N1,400 a litre, the entire N70,000 monthly minimum wage buys just 50 litres of petrol. What does the worker take home to feed the children? What pays the rent? What gets that worker back to work on Monday?

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated that the purchasing power of the average worker has been severely eroded by the rising prices of petrol, food, transportation, and housing. He criticized the current economic situation, describing it as a “ruthless economic squeeze” where workers are paid more on paper but are unable to meet their basic needs.

The former Vice President challenged the administration to move beyond rhetoric and implement a substantial wage increase that reflects the current economic reality. He emphasized that workers should not be forced to endure prolonged negotiations while their standard of living continues to decline, promising that his own administration would prioritize a wage review from its first day in office if elected in 2027.