Facebook Content Creator Urges Tinubu to Consider ₦500,000 Minimum Wage, Faults Sowore Over Palestine Protest
A Facebook content creator, Justin Chinedu Osuji, has criticised activist and 2027 presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, arguing that the activist could also use his platform to demand greater accountability over Nigeria’s economic and social challenges.
Sowore joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York on September 24, 2026, as protests were held around the United Nations during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the city. In a statement shared on his social media platform, Sowore said he joined the protest to express solidarity with Palestinians and advocate justice and human rights.
Sowore participating in the protest
Reacting to the development, Osuji urged Sowore to devote greater attention to issues affecting Nigerian workers and households, particularly the rising cost of living and the purchasing power of workers’ salaries.
He also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to Nigerians and strengthen efforts to improve living conditions, arguing that workers are facing severe pressure as the cost of food, transportation, accommodation, electricity, healthcare and other necessities continues to rise.
Nigeria’s national minimum wage was increased from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 under the National Minimum Wage Act 2024. The Federal Government has also described the wage adjustment as part of efforts to improve workers’ economic wellbeing and productivity.
Osuji, however, argued that the current minimum wage is inadequate in the face of present economic realities and called for a national minimum wage of ₦500,000.
He made the call in an appeal addressed to President Tinubu, titled, “Why Nigerian Workers Need a ₦500,000 Minimum Wage.”
According to Osuji, the proposed wage level would help workers meet basic household needs, restore purchasing power, reduce dependence on borrowing and improve productivity.
He also argued that better wages could strengthen families by reducing the financial pressure on workers who support children, elderly parents and other dependants.
Osuji maintained that a realistic wage structure could also stimulate economic activity, as workers with greater purchasing power would have more capacity to spend on locally produced goods and services.
He further linked the call to rising transportation and fuel costs, arguing that increased household expenses have placed additional pressure on workers’ incomes.
However, Osuji acknowledged that wage increases would need to be accompanied by measures aimed at controlling inflation, increasing domestic production, reducing unnecessary government expenditure, supporting small businesses and improving productivity.
He therefore urged the Federal Government to begin what he described as serious negotiations with organised labour and employers towards establishing a ₦500,000 national minimum wage, alongside measures to prevent inflation from eroding its value.
For Osuji, the issue is ultimately about the ability of Nigerian workers to live with dignity while contributing effectively to national development.
Osuji’s Full Submission
Why Nigerian Workers Need a ₦500,000 Minimum Wage
An Appeal to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
Subject: The Need for a ₦500,000 National Minimum Wage for Nigerian Workers
Your Excellency, Mr. President,
I respectfully appeal to your administration to consider increasing Nigeria’s national minimum wage to ₦500,000 per month as a necessary response to the present economic realities facing Nigerian workers and their families.
The current minimum wage of ₦70,000 is no longer sufficient to meet basic household needs. The cost of food, transportation, accommodation, electricity, healthcare, education, cooking gas and other necessities has risen substantially.
Why ₦500,000 Is Necessary
To reduce the hardship faced by workers: Workers should be able to earn enough to provide food, shelter, transportation and other basic necessities for themselves and their families.
To restore workers’ purchasing power: A wage increase should reflect the dramatic increase in the cost of living. Without meaningful adjustment, nominal salary increases provide little real benefit.
To improve productivity: A worker who is less worried about how to feed the family or pay transportation costs is more likely to concentrate on work and perform effectively.
To protect families from poverty: Many workers support children, elderly parents and other dependants. An inadequate salary can push working families into debt and poverty.
To recognise the dignity of labour: Nigerian workers contribute every day to the development of the country. They deserve compensation that allows them to live with dignity.
To stimulate the Nigerian economy: Workers with greater purchasing power will spend more on locally produced food, clothing, transportation, services and other goods. This can increase economic activity and support businesses.
To reduce dependence on borrowing: When salaries cannot cover basic expenses, workers may resort to loans and other forms of debt. A realistic minimum wage can help reduce this pressure.
To respond to rising transportation and fuel costs: Increases in petrol prices have added further pressure to household budgets and transportation expenses.
A Balanced Approach
The government can introduce the ₦500,000 minimum wage responsibly by combining it with measures to control inflation, increase domestic production, reduce unnecessary government expenditure, support small businesses and improve productivity.
Mr. President, a strong Nigeria requires a financially secure and motivated workforce. The welfare of workers should therefore remain an important part of economic policy.
I respectfully urge your administration to begin serious negotiations with organised labour and employers toward establishing a ₦500,000 national minimum wage, together with measures that will prevent inflation from immediately eroding its value.
A worker who can live with dignity is a worker who can contribute more effectively to national development.
May God bless Nigerian workers, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Respectfully submitted.
Justin Chinedu Osuji
