Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has called for an increase in Nigeria’s N70,000 national minimum wage, saying it is no longer enough to handle the economic pressure facing workers and other Nigerians.
Keyamo spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the 2026 National Pre-Retirement Summit organised by XEM Consultants Limited.
The minister, who previously served as Minister of State for Labour and Employment under late President Muhammadu Buhari, said workers must be properly treated if the country wants better productivity.
His comments came days after public sector workers gave the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government until September 30, 2026, to tackle the growing hardship affecting workers and their dependents.
The workers, under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, also demanded that petrol prices be stabilised at N500 per litre.
Keyamo criticised government agencies for denying workers basic allowances while senior officials allegedly spend heavily on international trips.
Recalling the negotiations that led to the minimum wage rising from N30,000 to N70,000, he said:
“I think they still need to increase the minimum wage. It might not be what Labour wants or in terms of the extent to which they want it, but somehow we have to meet labour midway.”
He added that workers remain central to productivity and national development.
