President Bola Tinubu has emphasised the need to review of the national minimum wage in Nigeria following the removal of subsidy on petrol.

The newly sworn-in Nigerian leader disclosed this while receiving members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), led by its chairman, Hope Uzodinma, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.

The president maintained that his administration would work tirelessly to improve the livelihood of Nigerians.

According to Tinubu: “We need to do some arithmetic and soul-searching on the minimum wage.

“We will have to take a look at that together, and the revenue. We must strengthen the source and application of our revenue.’’

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress announced a statewide strike starting from next week Wednesday in protest of the current hike in prices of fuel in the country.

The planned protest would be the first major test for new President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after he announced the removal of an expensive fuel subsidy during his inauguration speech.

The adjustment in the price of fuel in Nigeria has resulted in a significant increase in transportation fees with many commercial transporters blaming the hike in the price of the commodity.

Nigeria’s fuel subsidy cost the government billions of dollars every year, but it was popular since it kept prices low in Africa’s largest oil exporter.

The government argues that withdrawing the subsidy, which raised the price of petrol to 557 naira per litre from 189 naira, will assist relieve its financial budget chaos.

Despite this, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), maintained its strong position, saying the state oil company NNPC should reverse the price hike.

Speaking after an emergency meeting of the union’s executive council in Abuja, the capital,the NLC’s president Joe Ajaero, said the Nigeria Labour Congress and all its affiliates will withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide until the price is reversed.

“Consequently, the NLC decided that if by Wednesday next week the NNPCL, a private limited liability company, that illegally announced a price regime in the oil sector, refuses to revert itself for negotiation to continue, that the NLC and all its affiliates, will withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide until this is complied with.

And that the NNPCL doesn’t have the monopoly to act illegally, even as a private company. The NLC NEC, therefore, directed all state councils and all industrial unions to commence mobilisation from this moment to make sure that this action is enforced,” he said.

Ajaero further stated that the ongoing talks between the NLC and the Federal Government may not yield any meaningful results until President Bola Tinubu forms his cabinet.

He noted how important it is for the NLC to enter into negotiations with a fully constituted administration that would ensure that any decisions made were binding on it.