Fact-Check: Is Nigeria’s Minimum Wage ₦140,000, as Senator Oshiomhole Claims?

Claim: Senator Adams Oshiomole claims that the new minimum wage has been negotiated and is now N140,000

Verdict: Misleading

Full Text 

The Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomole, on the 5th November 2026, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital of Ekiti State, claimed that the new minimum wage has been negotiated and that it is now #140,000naira.

The former labour leader said the new minimum wage had been negotiated and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu understood people needed relief, not tears. He said Tinubu had approved an additional ₦70,000 grant for Nigerian workers, bringing the federal minimum wage to ₦140,000—double the ₦70,000 workers received last month.

The claim has divided social media users: some dispute it, while others welcome the reported new minimum wage agreement.

NDRFactcheck examines whether politicians are using this claim to attract voters’ attention and appeal to their emotions.

Verification 

The national minimum wage is set by law and remains ₦70,000 under the legislation Tinubu signed in July 2024. The law also requires a review every three years.

Further investigation shows that the government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) agreed to a ₦70,000 transport intervention for six months, beginning in November 2026. The agreement followed discussions at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on rising living costs and outstanding workers’ welfare demands.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) opposed the allowance, calling for an immediate salary increase, implementation of outstanding agreements, and a new minimum wage of ₦300,000.

Conclusion

Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s claim that a new ₦140,000 minimum wage has been negotiated is misleading.

No new minimum wage agreement has been reached. The national minimum wage remains ₦70,000 under the law Tinubu signed in July 2024; changing it would require a new agreement and a legislative amendment. On 27 October 2026, the Federal Government and the NLC agreed to a monthly ₦70,000 transport allowance for public service workers for six months starting in November 2026. They agreed in principle to hold talks on a new minimum wage, but negotiations remain unfinished.

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