Organized Labour has demanded 615,000 naira as the new minimum wage for workers to cope with the many economic realities and high cost of living in Nigeria.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) confirmed the development to newsmen on Sunday.

The new wage of 615,000 naira monthly was reached after consultations between the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The labour unions said the current minimum wage of 30,000 naira can no longer cater for the wellbeing of an average Nigerian worker. 

It lamented that not all governors are paying the current wage award which will expire by April, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Act is to be reviewed every five years to meet up with contemporary economic demands of workers.

The unions said inflation — which stood at 31.70 percent as of February 2024 — has affected the cost of living for an average Nigerian worker, noting that state governors can afford to pay every public servant because they now get more monthly revenue allocation by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).