Thursday, July 16, 2026

Tinubu Hardship: N70,000 minimum wage not enough for hungry workers, says Gbajabiamila

“In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed into law a minimum wage of N70,000, with more than double the N30,000 that workers had endured for years,” said Mr Gbajabiamila.

• June 26, 2026
Crowd scrambling for food; Tinubu with toothpick
Poor Nigerians and Tinubu with toothpick

Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, said the federal government will review the current minimum wage of N70,000 in response to the economic challenges faced by workers in the country.

Mr Gbajabiamila acknowledged the economic inconvenience experienced by government workers on Thursday during the 2026 edition of the Good Governance Summit, convened by Working People United (WoPU), held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

He said Mr Tinubu’s administration would approach the minimum wage concern as a partner rather than an adversary of labour.

Mr Gbajabiamila also noted that Mr Tinubu’s administration distinguished itself by delivering a new national minimum wage, pointing out that the current N70,000 minimum wage was double what workers had previously earned.

“In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed into law a minimum wage of N70,000, with more than double the N30,000 that workers had endured for years and recognising that the cost of living does not stand still, the President reduced the strategic review cycle from five years to three years so that wages may keep closer pace with economic reality,” Mr Gbajabiamila stated.

“The N70,000 wage, which was a milestone in 2024, must be honestly reassessed against today’s realities, and I can confirm to you that when the time comes to begin the process of reviewing the national minimum wage, this administration will approach that endeavour not as an adversary of labour, but as a partner,” he said.

Mr Gbajabiamila said Mr Tinubu prioritises workers’ welfare and believes in offering fair, commensurate wages.

“President Tinubu has said time and again that the custodians of the nation’s machinery deserve a fair and commensurate wage, and as you all well know by now, this is the president who means precisely what he says and does exactly what he means.

“It must be said that good governance is not a performance stage by government for the benefit of a passive audience. It’s a partnership between those who govern and those who are governed. Nowhere is that partnership more vital than the relationship between the government and the working people of Nigeria,” Mr Gbajabiamila explained.

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