Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has endorsed organised labour’s demand for an upward review of the national minimum wage, arguing that current earnings are insufficient to meet the rising cost of living.
In a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of implementing reforms that have significantly weakened workers’ purchasing power.
He argued that the removal of fuel subsidy led to sharp increases in transport, food and housing costs before adequate social protection measures were introduced.
According to Atiku, the current minimum wage of ₦70,000 can purchase only about 50 litres of petrol at prevailing pump prices of approximately ₦1,400 per litre, compared to the purchasing power of the former ₦30,000 minimum wage before subsidy removal.
“The payslip has grown, but the fuel it can buy has more than halved,” Atiku said.
The former vice president maintained that economic reforms should be judged by their impact on workers’ welfare and living standards rather than macroeconomic indicators alone.
He also compared Nigeria’s wage structure with those of several African countries, arguing that Nigerian workers were increasingly disadvantaged by inflation and escalating living costs.
Atiku urged the federal government to engage constructively with labour unions and implement measures that would restore the purchasing power of workers and ease economic hardship.
