The Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, Dr Chibuzo Okereke, has proposed replacing Nigeria’s current minimum-wage approach with a living-wage system designed to address the broader economic and social needs of workers.
Okereke made the proposal in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, arguing that workers’ welfare should not be reduced to the payment of a fixed statutory wage.
According to the account of the interview, the Labour Party candidate said a living wage should incorporate decent remuneration, housing, healthcare, food security, job protection, social security and safe working conditions.
Beyond a Fixed Salary Figure
Okereke’s proposal centres on the argument that workers’ economic well-being is determined by more than the nominal amount paid in monthly wages.
He criticised a system in which wage negotiations occur at intervals while the cost of essential goods and services may change more rapidly.
A living-wage framework, as described in the supplied account, would seek to consider the broader cost of sustaining a household and the social protections available to workers.
The practical design of such a system would require decisions about wage-setting mechanisms, employer obligations, public-sector financing and how adjustments would be made as economic conditions change.
Nigeria’s Wage Policy Debate
The question of wage adequacy has remained part of Nigeria’s wider economic debate, particularly amid changes in household expenditure and the cost of transportation, food and other essentials.
Okereke’s proposal presents a political position on how the Labour Party would approach workers’ remuneration if elected.
Further details on the proposed implementation process, including the legal framework and financial implications, would be necessary to assess how the policy could operate across the public and private sectors.
Political Context
The Labour Party candidate’s statement comes as political parties and candidates develop their policy messages ahead of the 2027 election.
The proposed living-wage system places workers’ welfare at the centre of the candidate’s economic argument.