Sowore Backs NLC, TUC ₦500,000 Minimum Wage Demand, Urges Workers to Fight for Living Wage

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has welcomed the recent demand by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for a new national minimum wage, saying it aligns with the position his party has consistently advocated.

Reacting in a statement on Friday, Sowore described the labour unions’ call for a ₦500,000 minimum wage as both necessary and long overdue, arguing that Nigeria’s worsening economic situation has made the current wage structure unsustainable for millions of workers.

He noted that the African Action Congress had long maintained that Nigerian workers deserve a living wage capable of meeting the realities of rising inflation, food prices, transportation costs and other basic expenses.

“It is encouraging that the leadership of the Nigerian labour movement, the NLC and TUC, have finally arrived at the same position the AAC adopted long ago,” Sowore said.

According to him, Nigerian workers deserve a national minimum wage of not less than ₦500,000, insisting that such a figure reflects the country’s current economic realities and the soaring cost of living.

Sowore argued that with labour unions and his party now sharing the same position, the next step should be sustained action to ensure the demand is achieved.

“Now that there is consensus, the focus must shift from declarations to action,” he stated.

The former presidential candidate urged workers across the country to unite in pursuit of what he described as a genuine living wage, adding that improving workers’ welfare should remain a national priority.

He also called on Nigerians to support leaders committed to protecting workers’ interests rather than politicians who, according to him, have consistently implemented policies that worsen the living conditions of ordinary citizens.

“We must vote for leaders who genuinely want the betterment of Nigerian workers, not those who have consistently treated workers as enemies,” he said.

Sowore has repeatedly argued that if elected president in 2027, his administration would implement a ₦500,000 national minimum wage as part of broader reforms aimed at improving workers’ welfare and reducing poverty.

His latest comments come days after organised labour renewed calls for a substantial review of the national minimum wage, citing inflation, the rising cost of living and the declining purchasing power of Nigerian workers.

The debate over workers’ wages has intensified in recent months, with labour leaders insisting that salaries must reflect prevailing economic realities to enable workers meet their basic needs.