The United States has said Nigeria’s newly approved minimum wage of ₦70,000 for federal workers has already lost value due to the continued depreciation of the naira.

In its 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, published on August 12 by the US Department of State, the report noted that the new wage, pegged at about $47.90 per month with the naira trading at over ₦1,500 to the dollar, has fallen below the poverty line.

It added that the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, which doubled the wage to ₦70,000, excluded firms with fewer than 25 workers, meaning most employees were not covered. Some states have also refused to implement the law, citing financial constraints.

The report further highlighted weak enforcement of wage and labour laws, observing that between 70 and 80 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce is in the informal sector, where regulations are rarely applied.

Beyond labour issues, the US raised broader concerns on child marriage, security abuses, arbitrary detentions, and delays in Nigeria’s judicial system.