Atiku Backs Labour, Says Workers Need Living Wage Now

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has backed organised labour’s demand for a substantial increase in the minimum wage, saying Nigerian workers need a living wage to cope with the rising cost of living.

Atiku accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of presiding over what he described as a severe economic squeeze in which workers earn more in nominal terms but have less purchasing power.

He made his position known in a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

Atiku criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, saying the policy led to a sharp increase in the cost of living without adequate protection for working families.

“The government pulled away the floor, offered workers a flimsy umbrella and now applauds itself while the rain beats down on them,” he said.

According to him, rising costs of fuel, transportation, food and rent have eroded workers’ earnings, despite the increase in the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.

Atiku illustrated the decline in purchasing power by comparing petrol prices before and after the wage increase.

“At ₦1,400 a litre, the entire ₦70,000 monthly minimum wage buys just 50 litres of petrol. What does the worker take home to feed the children? What pays the rent? What gets that worker back to work on Monday?” he asked.

He noted that at the April 2023 national average petrol price of ₦254.06 per litre, a ₦30,000 monthly wage could purchase approximately 118 litres of petrol.

“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. That is hardship dressed up as a wage increase,” Atiku said.

The former vice president also compared Nigeria’s minimum wage with those of other oil-producing and African countries, arguing that the Nigerian wage floor remained inadequate when measured against current living costs.

He cited Libya, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, saying their monthly minimum wages were worth approximately ₦213,000, ₦245,000, ₦302,000 and ₦351,000 respectively, based on exchange rates as of July 24, 2026.

Atiku acknowledged that wage structures and living costs differed across countries, but maintained that such differences did not make ₦70,000 sufficient for Nigerian workers facing current prices.

“The Nigerian worker is the engine of this country’s productive life, yet Tinubu expects that engine to run without fuel,” he said.

He argued that the impact of petrol prices extended beyond the filling station, affecting transportation, food production and other essential goods and services.

“Petrol does not stay at the pump. Its price follows the farmer to market, enters the baker’s oven and appears in the fare a parent pays to take a child to school,” Atiku said.

He called on President Tinubu to agree to what he described as a substantial increase in the minimum wage that reflects the current cost of food, transportation, rent and electricity.

Atiku also urged the Federal Government to provide a clear position on the issue, saying workers should not be subjected to prolonged negotiations without a definite outcome.

“If he has no intention of raising workers’ pay, he should say so plainly and stop stringing the Nigeria Labour Congress and other labour leaders along,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate said that, if elected, he would begin the process of raising the wage floor from his first day in office.

He also proposed a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians, subject to a spending cap, public accounting and independent auditing.

According to him, government intervention should result in measurable reductions in the cost of essential goods and services.

Atiku further pledged to pursue realistic wage adjustments, targeted social protection and policies aimed at stabilising the cost 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,” he said.

He added: “A living wage must buy a living. It is not a privilege; it is a basic right. Tinubu has made life painfully expensive. I will make life affordable again.”