Ajaero

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly opposed any legislative move by the National Assembly to transfer labour matters — including the national minimum wage — from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list of the Nigerian Constitution.

If approved, the amendment would allow individual states to set their minimum wages and determine broader labour-related policies independently.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated the congress’s position on the matter on Friday while addressing members of the Central Working Committee during a National Administrative Council meeting held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Describing the move as “an exercise in futility,” Ajaero argued that the national minimum wage is a universally recognised standard supported by International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, which treat countries — not sub-national entities — as the unit of accountability on labour issues.

He further alleged that the proposed constitutional change is part of a broader effort by legislators to “bastardise” Nigeria’s national labour framework. This, he said, includes shifting responsibilities for labour matters to individual states and allowing for the creation of state-level industrial courts to handle wage-related disputes — a development he warned would violate ILO principles.

“The National Assembly should not go into this exercise in futility unless members will also allow their respective states to determine their wages.

“If they attempt to smuggle labour matters into the concurrent list, we will mobilise workers to protest against it, even up to election day,” the labour leader said.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Ajaero reaffirmed the NLC’s readiness to resist any attempt to erode national labour protections. He urged lawmakers to respect international best practices and the rights of Nigerian workers.

“All over the world, there is a minimum wage for the protection of workers. In Nigeria, there is legislation for a minimum wage of N70,000. The law permits states to pay more than that, and in fact, many states currently pay above the minimum wage,” he stated.

Ajaero maintained that granting states the freedom to independently set minimum wages could harm the welfare of workers, especially in states with weaker economies or governance challenges.

He also clarified that the NLC was not aware of any state currently refusing to implement the newly approved minimum wage.

On a related matter, Ajaero addressed the stalled implementation of local government autonomy, stressing the importance of seeking the Supreme Court’s interpretation of its ruling to ensure full compliance with constitutional provisions.