The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed reports claiming it negotiated the ₦40,000 consequential adjustment approved for federal workers following the implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The labour organisation clarified that negotiations for consequential salary adjustments were handled exclusively by public sector unions, not the NLC.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Acting General Secretary, Comrade Benson Upah, the Congress described claims linking it to the ₦40,000 adjustment as false and misleading.

It accused unnamed individuals of deliberately misrepresenting Nigeria’s collective bargaining structure to mislead workers and create divisions within the labour movement.

The NLC explained that its role during the 2024 minimum wage negotiations was limited to determining the national minimum wage, which serves as the basic salary threshold below which no worker should be paid.

It stressed that consequential adjustments, which involve reviewing existing salary structures to accommodate a new minimum wage, are negotiated separately by unions in their respective sectors.

“For the purpose of clarity, we state that the national minimum wage is set through a tripartite process involving the labour movement, the government, and employers’ representatives.

“The NLC’s mandate at this stage is clear and unambiguous: to negotiate the national minimum wage; the primary and basic floor below which no worker should be paid,” the statement partly read.

The Congress further explained that the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, comprising government representatives and about eight trade unions, handled discussions with the Federal Government on implementing the new minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

It added that similar arrangements apply at the state level, where negotiating councils engage state governments, while industrial unions negotiate with employers’ associations on wage adjustments in the private sector.

Citing the food and beverage industry as an example, the NLC said the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers negotiated with the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees on how the new minimum wage would be implemented within the sector.

The labour centre maintained that although it represents workers in both the public and private sectors, this does not make it responsible for negotiating consequential adjustments on behalf of individual unions.

“The NLC represents both the private and public sectors. However, it is critically important to understand that the NLC does not sit at the table to negotiate consequential adjustments in the various sectors.

“The leadership of the unions in these sectors bears sole responsibility for the outcomes of consequential adjustments in their respective sectors,” it stated.

Addressing the ₦40,000 adjustment granted to federal workers, the Congress insisted that the negotiations were led by public sector union leaders.

“Therefore, the claim that the NLC was responsible for negotiating the N40,000 across-the-board addition as consequential adjustment for federal workers is not only false but is a deliberate distortion of the collective bargaining framework in Nigeria.

“The N40,000 outcome was the sole responsibility of the leadership of the unions in the public sector,” the statement added.

The NLC also accused some individuals of attempting to shift responsibility for the adjustment to create confusion within the labour movement, particularly as preparations begin for another round of national minimum wage negotiations.

It insisted that it had never negotiated consequential adjustments with either the government or organised private sector employers.

“Throughout the history of the national minimum wage setting exercise, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has never sat down to negotiate consequential adjustment with neither the government nor the organised private sector employers,” it said.

The Congress warned that attempts to blame it for the ₦40,000 adjustment could weaken workers’ unity at a critical period.

It said such actions were aimed at shifting responsibility and creating divisions as discussions towards a new national minimum wage gather momentum.

New Minimum Wage

The NLC pledged to push for a new national minimum wage that reflects prevailing economic conditions and brings workers closer to earning a living wage.

It urged workers and members of the public to hold the relevant institutions accountable for their respective responsibilities in the negotiation process.

“The new national minimum wage is on the verge of being negotiated. This is a critical moment for Nigerian workers and the masses to take necessary steps to hold specific institutions accountable for their specific expectations.

“The NLC will do its best to ensure that the outcome of this forthcoming exercise continues to serve Nigerian workers and masses and approximates a living wage,” the statement added.

The Presidency has rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu borrowed ₦120 trillion within three years of taking office, describing the figures circulating on social media as misleading.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The clarification was made by the President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, in a statement posted on X on Sunday, November 8. He accused opposition groups of spreading propaganda about the administration’s borrowing record.

A viral graphic had alleged that 16 Nigerian leaders borrowed a combined ₦46 trillion over 63 years, while Tinubu’s government accumulated ₦120 trillion in loans within just three years, despite removing the petrol subsidy.

However, Olusegun argued that the comparison failed to consider previously unrecognised government liabilities and the impact of changes in the exchange rate.

He explained that Nigeria’s public debt of ₦46 trillion at the end of 2022 did not include ₦22.7 trillion in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Ways and Means advances, which the government officially recognised in May 2023.

He also pointed out that earlier debt calculations converted Nigeria’s foreign obligations using an exchange rate of ₦448 to the dollar, even though the parallel market rate had exceeded ₦700 at the time.

According to him, the unification of the exchange rate in June 2023 increased the naira value of existing dollar-denominated debt by ₦13.4 trillion on paper. He stressed that this increase did not result from the government obtaining additional dollar loans.

Olusegun further stated that Nigeria’s public debt increased from $113.4 billion in June 2023 to $120.9 billion in June 2026, representing a rise of $7.5 billion.

Defending the removal of the petrol subsidy, he said the policy had resulted in higher monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to state and local governments.

He noted that the allocations increased from ₦656 billion in April 2023 to ₦2.4 trillion by September 2026.

Meanwhile, figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showed that Nigeria’s public debt rose from approximately ₦87.38 trillion in June 2023 to ₦166.79 trillion by June 2026.

A significant portion of the increase in naira terms was attributed to exchange rate adjustments and the securitisation of inherited Ways and Means advances.

The Presidency’s response comes amid renewed debate over the country’s borrowing plans following Tinubu’s request for Senate approval of a $7.7 billion external loan to partly finance the 2026 budget deficit.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the request during Wednesday’s plenary. The proposed facility is equivalent to approximately ₦10.79 trillion, based on the budget exchange rate of ₦1,400 to the dollar.

The latest proposal replaced an earlier borrowing request of $20.52 billion and €1.045 billion, which the President had submitted to the National Assembly a week earlier.

Opposition parties, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), have criticised the administration’s borrowing plans, warning that the country’s growing debt burden could have serious consequences for future generations.

The Federal Government has blamed the recent electricity outages affecting Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and two other areas on scheduled maintenance at Egbin Power Station, gas supply challenges and the sabotage of critical transmission lines.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this in a statement shared on Facebook on Friday, explaining that the challenges had reduced electricity generation on the national grid, forcing operators to ration power supply in affected locations.

Tegbe said the first set of affected generating units was expected to resume operations within 48 to 72 hours, while other units would return to service gradually.

According to the minister, scheduled maintenance at Egbin Power Station, coupled with inadequate gas supply to some thermal power plants, had significantly reduced the volume of electricity available for distribution across the country.

He stated, “Planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station and constraints in gas supply to some thermal power stations have reduced the amount of electricity available on the national grid.”

The minister also identified the sabotage of major transmission infrastructure as another factor worsening the power situation, explaining that the damage had limited the ability of operators to redirect electricity through alternative transmission routes.

He specifically noted that the situation had affected electricity supply to some locations, particularly Lagos.

“Sabotage of key transmission lines has also restricted the use of alternative routes to supply some locations, especially Lagos,” Tegbe added.

The minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was working with relevant stakeholders in the electricity sector to address the challenges.

He said efforts were underway to improve gas deliveries to power generation companies and accelerate repairs to damaged transmission infrastructure.

Tegbe apologised to households and businesses affected by the outages, promising that the ministry would continue to provide updates as electricity supply gradually improves.

Meanwhile, on November 4, the minister directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and electricity distribution companies to urgently resolve operational challenges responsible for the decline in power generation.