Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to increase Nigeria’s national minimum wage, arguing that the current wage is insufficient to meet workers’ basic needs amid rising living costs.
Atiku made the call in a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu.
He backed organised labour’s demand for a substantial increase in the minimum wage and attributed the pressure on household incomes to higher prices of fuel and essential commodities following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Atiku said the increase in the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 had not restored workers’ purchasing power, arguing that the rise in nominal wages had been outweighed by increases in the cost of living.
“The payslip has grown, but the fuel it can buy has more than halved. Tinubu has given workers a larger number and left them with a smaller life,” he said.
According to the statement, the N30,000 minimum wage in place before the Tinubu administration could purchase about 118 litres of petrol at the national average price of N254.06 per litre cited by the campaign.
At a petrol price of N1,400 per litre, Atiku said, N70,000 would purchase about 50 litres.
“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?” he asked.
Atiku compares Nigeria’s wage with other countries
The ADC candidate also compared Nigeria’s minimum wage with those of other African oil-producing countries.
According to figures contained in his statement and based on exchange rates cited for 24 July 2026, Libya’s monthly minimum wage was equivalent to about N213,000, while Algeria’s was approximately N245,000.
The statement put the equivalent figures for Equatorial Guinea and Gabon at about N302,000 and N351,000 respectively, while also claiming that Benin Republic’s minimum wage was higher than Nigeria’s when converted at the cited exchange rates.
Atiku acknowledged that wage structures and living costs vary from country to country but maintained that the differences did not make N70,000 sufficient for Nigerian workers facing current prices.
Calls for wage increase and lower living costs
Atiku urged the Federal Government to review workers’ salaries while taking measures to reduce the cost of essential goods and services.
He said increases in fuel prices had wider effects on transportation, food production and other household expenses.
“The Nigerian worker is the engine of this country’s productive life, yet President Tinubu expects that engine to run without fuel,” he said.
He challenged the President to agree to what he described as a substantial increase in the minimum wage that reflects the cost of food, transport, rent and electricity.
Atiku also called for greater clarity from the government on its position on workers’ pay, saying Nigerian workers deserved a definite response to their demands.
He further criticised the pace of discussions between the government and organised labour, saying workers should not be left waiting while the cost of living continues to rise.
Atiku outlines proposed measures
The ADC presidential candidate said that, if elected, his administration would seek to raise the wage floor while introducing measures aimed at reducing living costs.
He proposed a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold domestically, subject to what he described as spending limits, public accounting and independent audits.
He also pledged to pursue targeted social protection, realistic wage adjustments and measures to stabilise the prices of essential goods and energy.
“Nigerians do not eat FAAC figures. A full treasury is no answer to an empty kitchen. The test of this government is whether the men and women who work all month can live on what they earn,” Atiku said.
He said his proposed policies would focus on supporting domestic production and providing relief to households affected by the cost-of-living crisis..
