By Our Reporter, With Agency Reports
THE NON-ACADEMIC Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has called on the Federal Government to urgently review the N70,000 national minimum wage amid rising living costs, as the government reaffirmed its commitment to sustained dialogue and collective bargaining to address workers’ welfare concerns.
NASU President, Comrade Makolo Hassan, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the remarks at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
Hassan said rising petrol prices and the cost of food, transportation, housing, electricity and healthcare had rendered the current minimum wage inadequate to meet workers’ basic needs.
He urged the Federal Government to initiate an immediate review of the minimum wage in line with prevailing economic realities and the escalating cost of living.
“NASU, therefore, calls on the Federal Government to immediately set in motion the necessary machinery for an urgent review of the National Minimum Wage, in line with the prevailing economic realities and the escalating cost of living in Nigeria,” he said.
He stressed that Nigerian workers deserved wages that guaranteed decent living conditions and preserved their purchasing power, adding that a wage that could not sustain a worker was neither fair nor decent.
Hassan called for periodic wage reviews and cost-of-living adjustments to prevent inflation from eroding workers’ earnings.
Citing a food inflation rate of 19.57 per cent in July 2026, he advocated increased support for farmers, improved security in farming communities and greater investment in food production and transportation.
He also called for affordable electricity, improved public transportation and accessible housing schemes to ease workers’ financial burden.
The NASU president further demanded secure employment, an end to casualisation, prompt payment of outstanding entitlements and respect for trade union rights, including collective bargaining, freedom of association and the right to assemble.
Responding to the union’s concerns, Dingyadi assured NASU of the government’s readiness to address workers’ legitimate demands through constructive engagement and collective bargaining.
He said the government recognised the union’s critical role in ensuring the smooth operation of educational institutions and remained committed to improving workers’ welfare within the limits of international standards.
“We are going to be transparent. We are going to be committed to the welfare of the workers, and we will ensure that we provide the best we can within the limits of international standards,” he said.
The minister said his doors remained open to NASU and other labour unions in the education sector, adding that sustained dialogue and tripartite engagement were essential to resolving industrial disputes and maintaining industrial peace.
He also said President Bola Tinubu remained committed to workers’ aspirations, noting that the government had implemented the N70,000 national minimum wage while pursuing additional measures to improve their welfare and purchasing power.
Dingyadi urged NASU to sustain engagement with the government and encouraged its members to uphold efficiency, accountability and high work ethics in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He acknowledged the essential contributions of NASU members, who provide administrative, technical and maintenance services in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
Hassan, meanwhile, expressed optimism that the implementation of the 2026 Federal Government/NASU agreements would improve workers’ conditions of service and general welfare.
He said the agreement covering universities and inter-university centres was signed on June 29, 2026, while those covering polytechnics and colleges of education were signed on September 3, 2026.
At the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, said the institution had commenced payment of outstanding two-month contract arrears owed to workers engaged through its internally generated revenue.
Fawehinmi said the payment followed the receipt of government funds and an agreement reached with the union.
He added that the university management was also addressing issues relating to staff conversion, upgrading and promotion to improve workers’ motivation and productivity.
The vice-chancellor said the measures formed part of efforts to resolve staff concerns and strengthen industrial relations, emphasising the importance of cooperation between management and the union in maintaining a conducive working environment.
Earlier, NASU General Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, thanked Dingyadi for attending the meeting and urged him to sustain engagement with labour unions.
Adeyemi said listening to workers was essential to understanding their challenges and developing appropriate solutions, describing the minister’s presence and willingness to engage as examples of the leadership needed to support labour unions.
He urged the government to continue giving workers’ concerns the attention they deserved.
