As Nigeria marked the 2025 edition of Workers’ Day, former Senator Shehu Sani has outlined several economic challenges he believes are steadily diminishing the real value of wages earned by Nigerian workers.
In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, the ex-lawmaker from Kaduna Central commended Nigerian workers for their resilience but warned that their earnings are being seriously undermined by current economic realities.
Sani identified five major factors contributing to the erosion of workers’ purchasing power: removal of subsidies, rising electricity and telecom tariffs, inflation, depreciation of the naira, and surging housing costs.
“These are the five key issues weakening workers’ wages: 1. Removal of subsidies. 2. Higher electricity and telecom tariffs. 3. Inflation. 4. Declining value of the naira. 5. Rising rents,” he wrote.
He called on the government to urgently address these structural issues, stressing that without such action, workers will continue to struggle despite salary adjustments.
While supporting the push for a new minimum wage, Sani noted that its impact is often short-lived due to inflation and policy-driven economic pressures.
“A wage that doesn’t keep up with soaring costs of food, housing, transport, and electricity is merely symbolic,” he said in a follow-up comment.
“It’s not just about increasing salaries, but about ensuring that those wages retain their value.”
