Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to raise Nigeria’s minimum wage from his first day in office if elected president in 2027. Atiku made the pledge in a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential……
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to raise Nigeria’s minimum wage from his first day in office if elected president in 2027.
Atiku made the pledge in a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, amid renewed calls for improved wages as workers contend with rising living costs.
He said the current ₦70,000 minimum wage had not restored workers’ purchasing power, arguing that increases in the prices of food, transportation, rent and energy had significantly reduced the value of workers’ earnings.
Atiku noted that ₦30,000, the previous minimum wage, could buy about 118 litres of petrol at the national average price of ₦254.06 per litre recorded in April 2023.
He said at ₦1,400 per litre, the current ₦70,000 minimum wage could buy about 50 litres of petrol.
“The payslip has grown, but the fuel it can buy has more than halved,” Atiku said.
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He also cited minimum wage figures in selected oil-producing and African countries, saying Nigeria’s wage floor remained comparatively low when converted using exchange rates as of July 24, 2026.
Atiku said his proposed approach would combine realistic wage adjustments with measures aimed at reducing the cost of essential goods and energy.
He pledged to introduce a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold domestically, subject to a spending cap, public accounting and independent audit.
According to him, his administration would also pursue targeted social protection and measures to stabilise the cost of essential goods and energy.
Atiku challenged the Federal Government to increase workers’ pay in line with prevailing living costs, saying Nigerian workers needed a wage that could adequately meet basic household expenses.
“I will begin the work of raising the wage floor from my first day in office,” he said.
He further pledged that, from May 2027, his proposed policies would focus on supporting local production, providing relief at the pump and offering targeted assistance to people most affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
