Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has thrown his full weight behind organised labour's demand for a substantial increase in the minimum wage. He accused President Bola Tinubu of presiding over a ruthless economic squeeze, where workers are paid more on paper but struggle to make ends meet. Atiku stated that the administration's self-congratulatory talk of reform has become an insult to Nigerians whose wages vanish between the filling station and the food market.
Atiku criticized Tinubu's removal of the petrol subsidy, which sent prices soaring before any credible protection was in place for working families. He likened the situation to a person being offered a flimsy umbrella in the rain, saying that fuel, transport, food, and rent have devoured workers' earnings. Atiku described this as a callous way to govern people who work hard and ask only for the means to live. He emphasized that those with the least have been made to carry the heaviest load in the cost-of-living crisis.
Atiku highlighted the inadequacy of the current minimum wage, stating that ₦70,000 buys only 50 litres of petrol at ₦1,400 per litre, compared to 118 litres at ₦254.06 per litre in April 2023. He noted that despite the increase from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, purchasing power has not been restored. Atiku argued that Nigeria's wage floor compares poorly with those of several oil-producing and African economies, citing Libya, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon as examples.
Atiku challenged President Tinubu to agree immediately to a substantial minimum-wage increase that reflects the real cost of food, transport, rent, and power. He urged Tinubu to stop stringing the Nigeria Labour Congress and other labour leaders along and give Nigerian workers an answer. Atiku promised that he would begin the work of raising the wage floor from his first day in office, should he be elected.
Atiku outlined his plan for a targeted production subsidy to support petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians, subject to a firm spending cap, public accounting, and independent audit. He reaffirmed his commitment to realistic wage adjustments, targeted social protection, and measures to stabilize the cost of essential goods and energy. Atiku emphasized that better pay must be accompanied by lower living costs to repair the damage caused by Tinubu's economic policies.
Atiku criticized Tinubu's economic experiment, which he believes has made life painfully expensive for Nigerians. He stated that a full treasury is no answer to an empty kitchen and that the test of this government is whether the men and women who work all month can live on what they earn. Atiku emphasized that a living wage must buy a living and is not a privilege but a basic right.
Atiku concluded by stating that he will make life affordable again for Nigerians, unlike Tinubu, who has made life expensive. He urged Tinubu to take immediate action to raise the wage floor and bring down the costs crushing families. Atiku's plan aims to protect the people, support Nigerian production, deliver relief at the pump, and provide targeted help to those hit hardest by the cost-of-living crisis.
Key points
- Atiku Abubakar demands a substantial increase in the minimum wage to reflect the real cost of living in Nigeria.
- Atiku criticizes President Tinubu's economic policies, saying they have led to a ruthless economic squeeze on workers.
- Atiku promises to begin raising the wage floor from his first day in office, should he be elected.
