The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) asserts that state governors can afford to pay above N60,000 minimum wage if they reduce high cost of governance, minimise corruption as well as prioritise the welfare of workers.

This statement was released late Friday by NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, responding to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum claim that the proposed ₦60,000 minimum wage by the Federal Government is unsustainable.

In a statement titled “Save The Country From A Certain Death,” the NLC expressed alarm at the Governors’ Forum’s assertion that some states might need to borrow to meet this wage.

“We do believe the Governors have acted in bad faith. It is unheard for such a statement to be issued to the world in the middle of an ongoing negotiation. It is certainly in bad taste.” NLC argued.

Refuting the governors’ claims, the NLC pointed out that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations have increased from ₦700 billion to ₦1.2 trillion, significantly boosting state revenues.

The NLC stressed that governors could afford to pay a reasonable national minimum wage, adding that a national minimum wage is a baseline that no employer should pay below, designed to protect the weakest and poorest workers.

The NLC criticised government policies such as fuel subsidy removal, currency devaluation, energy tariff hikes by 250%, and interest rate hikes by 26.5%, arguing these measures hurt the economy and the poor.