The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised reports that state governors are proposing a ₦100,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers, describing the figure as inadequate and incapable of guaranteeing a decent standard of living.
Sowore made his position known in a post on X on Saturday, just hours after reiterating his earlier call for a ₦500,000 minimum wage for workers across the country.
According to him, the reported proposal by governors falls far short of what is required to address the rising cost of living and the economic realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
“Just hours after we proposed a living wage for Nigerian workers, the governors have reportedly responded with their own proposal of a ₦100,000 minimum wage,” Sowore wrote.
He argued that no worker could live decently on ₦100,000 monthly, noting that the amount is insufficient to cover essential needs such as food, housing, transportation, healthcare, education and utility expenses.
“These wicked governors know very well that no worker can live decently on ₦100,000 per month in today’s Nigeria.
That amount can barely purchase a bag of rice, let alone cover housing, transportation, healthcare, education, utilities and other basic necessities,” he stated.
The AAC chieftain accused state governors of being fully aware of the economic hardship confronting workers while continuing to maintain what he described as poverty-level wages.
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According to him, political leaders are uneasy about growing public awareness that alternative economic policies capable of improving workers’ welfare are achievable.
“They are in panic mode; they fear that Nigerians may discover that a different path is possible, one where workers are paid real living wages, public resources are used for the benefit of the people, and prosperity is shared rather than hoarded by a privileged few,” he said.
Sowore maintained that the purpose of a minimum wage should be to guarantee dignity and a reasonable quality of life for workers rather than perpetuate hardship.
“A minimum wage should guarantee dignity, not perpetual suffering,” he added.
The statement followed an earlier post by Sowore on Thursday in which he proposed a ₦500,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers and called for additional allowances for personnel in critical sectors.
“A minimum wage of ₦500,000 is not too much for Nigerian workers. Police officers, soldiers, teachers, doctors, nurses and other public servants deserve a living wage, and those in critical sectors must earn additional allowances for the risks, sacrifices and essential services they provide,” he said.
Sowore has consistently advocated higher wages and improved welfare for workers, arguing that compensation should reflect prevailing economic conditions and the increasing cost of living across the country.
His comments come amid ongoing national conversations on workers’ welfare, inflation and measures needed to cushion the effects of economic reforms on Nigerian households.