Atiku Abubakar Calls for Immediate N70,000 Wage Increase

Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately raise the national minimum wage to N70,000. In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku argued that the current wage has been eroded by rising costs of fuel, food, transportation, and housing.

He noted that despite the increase from N30,000 to N70,000 in July 2024, workers are struggling with a decline in purchasing power. Atiku highlighted that at the current petrol price of N1,400 per litre, the N70,000 wage only allows workers to purchase about 50 litres of petrol, compared to 118 litres at the previous wage level.

He criticized the government's removal of the petrol subsidy without adequate protections for working families, stating that the impact of fuel prices extends to food and transportation costs. Atiku also pointed out that Nigeria's minimum wage is unfavorable compared to other African oil-producing countries.