Nigeria’s ₦70,000 Minimum Wage: Can Workers Still Afford a Decent Life?

I believe Nigeria needs an honest conversation about the real value of the ₦70,000 minimum wage. An infographic estimates that, if every kobo were saved, a worker on minimum wage would need about 592 workdays to buy an iPhone 17 Pro. The phone is not the main issue; it is a simple measure of how weak workers’ purchasing power has become. A salary increase from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 was a positive step, but workers still face rising food, rent, transport, electricity, healthcare and school costs. Inflation, fuel prices, logistics costs and pressure on the naira can quickly erase the value of any wage increase. I believe government, labour and the private sector should work towards a realistic, phased living-wage structure while protecting small businesses. Better wages must be supported by affordable transport and energy, stronger local production, job creation, stable prices and policies that reduce the cost of doing business. The question is not whether every Nigerian should own an expensive phone. It is how long an honest Nigerian worker must work before basic life becomes affordable.

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