The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says Nigerian workers can no longer survive on the N70,000 national minimum wage with the current economic pressures.
Keyamo said this at the 2026 National Pre-Retirement Summit organised by XEM Consultants Limited.
Speaking at the event, Keyamo stated that the rising cost of living had eroded workers’ purchasing power and made an upward review of wages necessary.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to meet organised labour halfway in the ongoing wage discussions.
According to him, unions were demanding as much as N500,000, recalling the negotiations that preceded the increase in the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 in 2024.
The minister, however, noted that the current minimum wage was still insufficient to absorb the economic shocks confronting workers.
He equally criticised the treatment of workers by some government agencies, particularly situations where employees are denied basic allowances while senior officials allegedly approve large sums for international trips.
“I will have none of it. Without these workers, we will not have a country.
“It’s not the machines or everything that you have; it’s the human factor. Without that, no machine will move,” he said.
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