The government’s position comes as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have stepped up demands for a major increase in the national minimum wage.

The NLC has called for at least ₦500,000 as the new minimum wage, arguing that the current ₦70,000 is no longer sufficient to meet workers’ basic needs amid rising inflation and the cost of living.

NLC Deputy President Audu Titus Amba, who represented NLC President Joe Ajaero at the Nigeria Rights of Workers Summit in Birnin Kebbi in August, said organised labour was ready to return to negotiations with the Federal Government.

According to the NLC, anything below ₦500,000 would not adequately address the economic challenges confronting Nigerian workers.

The union’s demand comes after the agreed period for the previous wage arrangement elapsed in July, paving the way for fresh negotiations between organised labour and the government.

The NLC and TUC had earlier announced plans to begin renegotiating the national minimum wage, insisting that the new figure must represent a genuine living wage that reflects current economic realities.

Rising Cost of Living

The renewed wage debate comes amid persistent concerns over the purchasing power of Nigerian workers, as food, transportation, housing, electricity and other essential expenses continue to put pressure on household incomes.

While the Federal Government has not announced a new minimum wage figure or implementation date, Gbajabiamila’s comments indicate that an upward review is now firmly on the government’s agenda.

The key issue in the coming negotiations will therefore be how far the government is prepared to go in responding to labour’s ₦500,000 demand while balancing workers’ welfare with the broader economic realities facing the country.

Minister of Labour and Employment Muhammad Dingyadi also stressed that the success of government policies should ultimately be measured by their impact on workers’ livelihoods, decent employment, social protection and economic opportunities.

With the Federal Government signalling readiness for a review and organised labour demanding at least ₦500,000, a fresh round of minimum-wage negotiations could become a major economic and labour issue in the months ahead.

“And at this point, the campaign season has just started. We have four, five months of serious campaigning. Of course, governance will still continue.

“And at this point, it’s important that the President also refuels. And even though he’s going on leave, we know that he’ll be engaged with state matters on a daily basis.”

The presidential aide explained that government business would continue while Tinubu was outside the country.

He said the President was expected to remain in contact with ministers, service chiefs and other officials responsible for critical areas of governance.

“He will receive briefings from his ministers, from the service chiefs as the case may be, and from every other person who is handling very key decisions in our country,” Dare added.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said London, United Kingdom, would be the President’s first destination.

Onanuga also said Tinubu would return to Nigeria at the end of the vacation and join the campaign activities ahead of the January 2027 presidential election.

“The DSS boss told the lawyers that, since the matter had been in court for nearly a year, suspending it for another four months wouldn’t make much difference,” the source added.

The DSS is expected to approach the Federal High Court in Abuja with the request when the court resumes from its annual judicial vacation.

The court is scheduled to resume normal sittings from September 14, 2026.

If the application is granted, the proceedings would remain on hold during the major period of the 2027 presidential campaign and election.

The case originated from posts made by Sowore on his X and Facebook accounts in August 2025.

On August 25, 2025, Sowore reacted to comments made by Tinubu during the President’s official visit to Brazil.

In the post, the AAC politician described the President as a “criminal” while questioning his claim that corruption had been eliminated under his administration.

The DSS subsequently demanded that Sowore remove the post.

The agency also asked him to retract the statement and issue a public apology. Sowore, however, refused to comply with the demand.

The disagreement eventually moved to the Federal High Court, where the DSS sought judicial determination over whether Sowore’s comments amounted to cyberbullying and other offences under Nigerian law.

The initial case involved Sowore alongside X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, and Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook.

However, the DSS later amended the charge and removed X and Meta from the proceedings. Sowore became the sole defendant in the amended case.

In January 2026, the Federal High Court re-arraigned Sowore on a two-count amended charge. He pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The trial subsequently commenced, with DSS witnesses giving evidence on the alleged impact of the posts.

During one of the proceedings in January, a DSS operative told the court that the post had generated reactions and was considered capable of creating tension and affecting public safety.

The defence, however, challenged the prosecution’s case and questioned the basis for the DSS action.

The trial also produced several notable developments.

In January 2026, the court admitted a video involving former presidential aide Reno Omokri, in which he had previously referred to Tinubu as a “drug lord”.

The material was tendered by Sowore’s legal team during cross-examination of a DSS witness.

The prosecution has maintained that Sowore’s posts were false and capable of causing public disorder. Sowore has denied the allegations and maintained his position on the matter.

In April 2026, the Federal High Court dismissed a fundamental rights suit filed by Sowore against the DSS, its Director-General and Meta over the removal of a Facebook post in which he referred to Tinubu as a “criminal”.

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar dismissed the suit and awarded N1.5 million against Sowore.