The ultimatum, which takes effect on Friday, 9 October, was issued at a joint meeting of the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Working Committee (CWC) in Abuja.
The labour centre wants negotiations on a new minimum wage to commence before the end of October, arguing that the existing wage has lost much of its purchasing power amid the continued depreciation of the naira and rising cost of living.
It also called for petrol prices to be reduced to the level at which they stood when the current national minimum wage was signed into law in 2024. According to the congress, high petrol prices have contributed to rising transportation costs and increases in the prices of food and other essential commodities.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC said workers were struggling to cope with worsening economic conditions and could no longer afford basic necessities.
“The current national minimum wage has been rendered worthless by the relentless depreciation of the naira and the astronomical rise in the cost of living,” the congress said.
It stressed the need for a living wage that reflects the actual cost of living and safeguards the dignity of Nigerian workers, warning that further delays in opening negotiations would be unacceptable.
On the cost of petrol, the NLC urged the Federal Government to work with relevant agencies to bring down pump prices immediately. It also criticised what it described as indiscriminate increases in petroleum product prices.
The congress further called on the government to implement, within the ultimatum period, the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU) on 5 February 2026, as well as address additional demands arising from the agreement.
It also demanded the implementation of the demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC).
Meanwhile, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) has called on the Federal Government to introduce measures to ease workers’ economic hardship, citing rising costs of food, transportation, healthcare, housing and education, alongside growing security concerns.
The association’s Acting National President, Fanimokun Adesina, made the call during the commemoration of the 2026 World Day for Decent Work at the ASSBIFI Events Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday.
Adesina described the inability of the national minimum wage to meet workers’ basic needs as unacceptable, arguing that employees deserved decent living conditions and fair treatment.
“A situation whereby the national minimum wage cannot buy a bag of rice or provide three square meals for an average Nigerian family of four for two weeks is nothing but slavery. Workers are not slaves; we must be treated with the dignity that decent work reflects,” he said.
He described this year’s theme, ‘Young Workers Organising for the Future’, as timely, noting that it addressed succession challenges facing trade unions in Nigeria and across the global labour market.
According to him, technological changes are already reshaping employment, with artificial intelligence, digitalisation, automation, platform-based work, algorithmic management and outsourcing increasingly influencing workplace practices.
“The future of work is no longer in the future; it is here,” he said, stressing the need for trade unions to prepare young workers for the changing employment landscape.
Adesina also urged banks, insurance companies and other employers to respect workers’ freedom of association and allow them to join trade unions of their choice without intimidation, threats or victimisation.
He called for compliance with relevant International Labour Organisation conventions, including Convention 87 on freedom of association and Convention 98 on the right to organise and collective bargaining, while also referencing Convention 158 on termination of employment.
The NLC’s ultimatum and ASSBIFI’s appeal come amid mounting concerns over the impact of rising living costs on Nigerian workers and renewed calls for policies to improve wages, protect workers’ rights and strengthen economic security.
