AbdulRazaq seeks N100,000 minimum wage review, lauds Tinubu for subsidy removal

Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has called on President Bola Tinubu to consider raising Nigeria’s national minimum wage from N70,000 to N100,000.

AbdulRazaq made the appeal during a meeting between the president and state governors held at Tinubu’s residence in Lagos on Friday, May 29, 2026.

The governor urged Tinubu to engage in discussions on formally reviewing the national wage benchmark upward to reflect current economic realities.

AbdulRazaq said: “I urge your excellency, let’s have a discussion on moving the minimum wage to a minimum of N100,000.

“We know we’ll get support from you as we go ahead to implement that.”

AbdulRazaq also commended the president for removing the fuel subsidy, describing the decision as bold and one that only a small fraction of political leaders would be willing to take.

According to him, state governments initially expected widespread public anger and possible unrest following the subsidy removal.

He said governors had made arrangements with security agencies in anticipation of protests, recalling fears linked to earlier nationwide demonstrations over governance issues.

However, AbdulRazaq noted that contrary to those expectations, the policy did not trigger major protests, adding that the outcome surprised many stakeholders and underscored the political risk Tinubu took in implementing the reform.

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AbdulRazaq further stated that the subsidy removal has significantly improved state finances.

He said after paying salaries from monthly allocations, many states are now left with relatively small balances, but are no longer heavily dependent on borrowing or issuing bonds to meet recurrent and capital obligations.

AbdulRazaq also disclosed that several states have already adjusted their wage structures to as high as N100,000 in response to improved fiscal capacity.

The national minimum wage was last revised in 2024 when President Tinubu signed legislation raising it from N30,000 to N70,000, with a provision for periodic review every three years.