Organised labour in Ondo State, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions, has demanded an immediate review of the minimum wage for workers in the state – from the current N73,000 to N256,950.
In a letter dated 19 September 2025 and addressed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the unions argued that the present wage is unsustainable given Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions.
The letter, signed by the NLC state chairman, Comrade Ademola Olapade, and the state secretary, Comrade Akin Sunday, also called for a corresponding increase in pension benefits for retirees.
According to the unions, rampant inflation, the removal of fuel subsidies, and the rising costs of food, housing, transportation, and healthcare have eroded the value of workers’ earnings, leaving many in what they described as “perpetual economic suffocation.”
“Your Excellency, it is no longer news that the Nigerian economy has been severely battered by inflation, currency devaluation, and skyrocketing costs of basic needs,” the letter stated. “Workers are the engine of governance and economic productivity, while pensioners deserve to live the remainder of their lives with dignity.”
The NLC stressed that Ondo, as an oil-producing state, has seen significant increases in federal allocations and internally generated revenue (IGR) from oil earnings and subsidy funds, insisting that the state has the financial capacity to pay the proposed wage.
The unions also cited Imo State, a non-oil-producing state, which recently approved a minimum wage of N104,000 for its workers and pensioners, arguing that Ondo should not lag behind.
They reminded Governor Aiyedatiwa of commitments made during the last wage negotiation, when the government pledged to review workers’ welfare in line with any “upward shift” in revenue.
The NLC urged the governor to immediately set up a negotiation committee comprising government officials and labour representatives to deliberate on the proposal.
“It is only just and reasonable that Ondo State, which is blessed with oil wealth and resource potential, sets progressive standards for others to emulate,” the unions said. “A government that pays its workers and pensioners a just wage is one that honours the social contract it holds with its people.”
