Workers’ wages are not Nigeria’s problem —Upah NLC spokesperson

In this interview with CHRISTIAN APPOLOS, spokesperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Benson Upah, speaks on the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, the next wage review, the economy, xenophobia, and corruption in the country. Excerpts:

How would you assess states’ implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage?

If you look across the country, the states can be grouped into about three categories. Some embraced the new wage without much resistance. Some had to be persuaded. Others even went beyond the ₦70,000 benchmark because they genuinely wanted to improve workers’ welfare. To the best of my knowledge, no state outright rejected the minimum wage. The sticking point in many places was the issue of consequential adjustments; how the new wage would affect other salary levels. Those disagreements took some time, but they’ve largely been resolved.

From day one, our position has been simple. The national minimum wage is not something workers should beg for. It is a legal obligation. Any government that refuses to implement it is simply failing in its responsibility to workers.

And let’s be clear, the problem has never really been the lack of money. It’s how available resources are managed.

Why do governments still see the minimum wage as a burden instead of an anti-poverty tool?

That’s one of the biggest contradictions in our governance. Many governments still don’t appreciate that poverty is not just a social problem; it’s an economic and security problem. When people can no longer feed their families or meet basic needs, the consequences affect everyone.

Workers are not liabilities. They are the people who keep the economy running. They produce, they consume and they pay taxes. Once their purchasing power collapses, businesses suffer because people can no longer buy goods and services.

So, paying workers decent wages is not charity. It’s an investment in economic growth.

What worries me is that people often blame workers’ salaries whenever the government talks about spending too much. But if you examine public expenditure carefully, salaries account for only a fraction of it. Far more money disappears through corruption, waste, inflated contracts and poor financial management. That’s where the real problem lies, not with workers’ wages.

With another wage review approaching, where do discussions stand?

There have been informal conversations between organised labour and government, but formal negotiations haven’t started. A few weeks ago, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum mentioned ₦100,000 as a possible figure. We heard him out, but we also made it clear that, given today’s economic realities, that amount would still leave many workers struggling.

The law provides for a review every three years. The next step is for the government to constitute the Presidential Committee on the National Minimum Wage. That’s when the formal negotiations will begin.

Labour has mentioned figures as high as ₦1 million. Why do you believe the government can afford a better wage?

People always ask whether the government has the money. I think the better question is: where is the money going? Government revenue has increased significantly over the past few years. FAAC allocations are much higher. Fuel subsidy has been removed. Electricity tariffs have gone up. Taxes have increased. Exchange rate reforms have generated more revenue.

Yet workers are worse off. Food prices have skyrocketed. Transport costs have gone through the roof. Rent is becoming unaffordable. People are paying almost international prices for many essentials while earning salaries that have lost much of their value.

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So it’s only fair that workers receive wages that reflect today’s economic realities.

Should workers automatically benefit whenever the government earns more revenue?

Of course they should. The primary duty of the government is the welfare of its people. It cannot continue to celebrate rising revenues while citizens sink deeper into poverty. There was a time when people from neighbouring countries came to Nigeria because opportunities existed here. Today, many Nigerians are desperately looking for ways to leave.

Ironically, the government earns much more now than it did decades ago. So why are Nigerians poorer? The answer, unfortunately, is corruption. Resources that should improve people’s lives often end up in private pockets instead of being used for development.

How should Nigeria respond to the xenophobic attacks against its citizens in South Africa?

Nigeria hasn’t always done enough to protect its citizens, whether at home or abroad. A responsible country should always stand up for its people wherever they are. That said, I think the current administration deserves some credit for the way it handled this latest situation. The Minister of Foreign Affairs pursued diplomatic engagement, and when it became obvious that wasn’t enough, the government approved the evacuation of affected Nigerians.

Nigeria also has considerable economic leverage because many South African companies have major investments here. I believe the government is being cautious while keeping its options open.

As for xenophobia itself, there’s absolutely no justification for it. Yes, people often remind South Africans of Nigeria’s role during the anti-apartheid struggle, and rightly so. But even if that history didn’t exist, attacking people simply because of where they come from is wrong. It’s inhumane.

Has Nigeria lost its place as Africa’s ‘Big Brother’?

I don’t think so. Foreign policy isn’t something that remains the same forever. It changes with circumstances and national interests. There was a period when Nigeria invested enormous resources in the liberation of Southern Africa. We also played leading roles in restoring peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone and, more recently, The Gambia. Even today, Nigeria continues to provide leadership in West Africa, although much of it happens quietly and away from the headlines.

Where I think we need to improve is in ensuring that our foreign engagements also serve our national interest. Every major intervention should bring diplomatic, economic or strategic benefits to Nigeria. We still have the population, the military strength and the diplomatic influence to lead Africa. We simply have to do it more strategically.

Should Nigeria relax its visa policy for other Africans?

Personally, I think it should. Countries like Rwanda and Kenya have adopted more open visa policies without compromising their security. Nigeria should be encouraging investors, tourists and legitimate business people to come here, not frustrating them with unnecessary bureaucracy. If someone doesn’t pose a security risk, why make entry unnecessarily difficult? A more liberal visa regime would encourage trade, tourism, investment and African integration.

Who should drive that policy shift?

Ultimately, it has to come from the President because he sets the direction of government policy. The Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs have their responsibilities, but once the President decides on a particular policy direction, implementation becomes their job. At the end of the day, we should ask ourselves a simple question: what exactly are we protecting by making it unnecessarily difficult for genuine visitors to enter Nigeria?

Should Nigeria focus more on fixing domestic problems than external commitments?

It’s an interesting debate. The irony is that when Nigeria was spending heavily to support liberation struggles across Africa, life at home was actually much better. People could afford basic necessities. Scholarship programmes existed. Our refineries worked. Steel rolling mills were produced. Automobile assembly plants in places like Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan, Enugu, Bauchi and Lagos created jobs and supported industrialisation. Many workers even obtained vehicle loans to buy locally assembled cars. So, you would naturally expect that with fewer external commitments today, life should have improved. Unfortunately, the reverse is what we have seen.

Part of the blame lies with economic policies promoted by institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. Currency devaluation and the dismantling of commodity boards weakened productive sectors of our economy. But, we must also be honest with ourselves. Corruption, poor leadership and the failure to protect Nigeria’s economic interests have made matters much worse.

The result is what we see today: poverty, unemployment, insecurity and thousands of Nigerians risking dangerous journeys abroad because they have lost hope at home.

What should President Bola Tinubu do differently?

President Tinubu has an opportunity to change Nigeria’s story. If his administration succeeds in reviving the economy, improving security, restoring industries and making life better for ordinary Nigerians, history will remember him kindly. At the end of the day, leaders are judged by results. Nigerians are looking for solutions, not explanations.

Despite everything you’ve said, are you still optimistic about Nigeria’s future?

Very much so. No country remains in decline forever. History is full of examples of nations that went through difficult periods but eventually recovered because they embraced the right policies and had the right leadership.

Nigeria has enormous human and natural resources. What we need is honest leadership, prudent management of public resources and policies that genuinely put the welfare of citizens first. President Tinubu has the chance to strengthen the economy, improve security and restore confidence in the country.

In the end, the buck stops with the president. History doesn’t remember leaders for the excuses they gave. It remembers them for the problems they solved. That is the challenge before this administration, and I hope it rises to it.