Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to increase Nigeria’s N70,000 national minimum wage, arguing that rising fuel, food, transport and housing costs have reduced workers’ purchasing power.
Atiku made the call on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
He argued that although the statutory minimum wage was increased from N30,000 to N70,000 in 2024, the rise in the cost of living had reduced the value of the new wage.
The Federal Government approved the N70,000 minimum wage in July 2024 following negotiations with organised labour. President Tinubu had said the wage would be reviewed after three years.
Atiku said the current wage should be reconsidered because of the increase in the prices of essential goods and services. He particularly pointed to petrol prices, saying higher fuel costs had reduced the amount of petrol workers could buy with their monthly earnings.
He compared the purchasing power of the old and new minimum wages using petrol prices cited in his statement. According to his calculation, N30,000 could buy about 118 litres of petrol when the national average price was N254.06 per litre in April 2023, while N70,000 at N1,400 per litre would purchase about 50 litres.
The former vice president also linked rising petrol prices to higher transportation, food and other household expenses. He argued that the effect of fuel costs goes beyond filling stations because businesses and individuals face increased expenses when energy and transport become more expensive.
Atiku also criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, saying the policy should have been accompanied by stronger measures to protect working families from rising living costs.
He called on the Federal Government to make its position on another wage increase clear and said workers should not be left waiting through prolonged discussions without a definite decision.
Atiku further said that if elected president in 2027, his administration would begin the process of increasing the wage floor from its first day in office.
He also proposed measures aimed at reducing pressure on households, including greater support for local production, targeted social protection and interventions in the petroleum sector.
The ADC candidate said his proposed production subsidy would support petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians. He said such support would be subject to spending limits, public disclosure and independent audits.
Atiku also called for steps to stabilise the prices of essential goods and energy, arguing that increasing wages alone would not fully address the pressure on households if the cost of living continued to rise.
The Tinubu administration has previously defended the N70,000 minimum wage as an outcome of negotiations with organised labour and other stakeholders. The presidency also stated in 2024 that the wage would be reviewed after three years.
Atiku, however, maintained that the main issue was the purchasing power of workers and called for policies that would allow Nigerians to cope better with the rising cost of basic needs.
His comments come as political parties and presidential candidates continue to present their economic plans to Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election.