By Michael OChe
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has urged the Federal Government to ensure that economic reforms translate into improved living conditions for Nigerians, calling for a review of the national minimum wage, affordable education, stronger public services and urgent measures to tackle rising food prices.
The union said the rising cost of essential goods and services had continued to erode workers’ purchasing power, making it increasingly difficult for them to afford food, transportation, housing, healthcare and their children’s education.
NASU President, Comrade (Dr.) Makolo Hassan, stated this in his welcome address at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the Banquet Hall, Headquarters, NAF Officers and Suites, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Hassan described the N70,000 national minimum wage as inadequate under prevailing economic conditions, urging the Federal Government to initiate an urgent review and institutionalise periodic wage adjustments to protect workers against inflation.
He said the increases in petroleum prices and the cost of food, transportation, housing, electricity, healthcare and other necessities had significantly weakened the value of workers’ earnings.
“While the N70,000 National Minimum Wage was a hard-won victory, the prevailing economic realities in Nigeria have rendered it grossly inadequate,” he said.
He added that the current wage could no longer adequately sustain workers and their families amid rising living costs.
According to him, Nigerian workers deserve not merely a minimum wage but a living wage capable of guaranteeing decent living conditions and economic security.
Hassan said the effectiveness of economic reforms should be measured by their impact on ordinary citizens rather than the improvements reported in economic indicators alone.
“The true measure of any economic reform is not the applause it receives in boardrooms, but the difference it makes in the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
He noted that despite any reported improvement in headline inflation, households continued to face significant pressure from the cost of food, transport, rent, school fees, medicines, electricity and other basic necessities.
Citing food inflation of 19.57 per cent in July 2026, Hassan identified affordable food as a major national priority, urging the government to intensify support for farmers, improve security in farming communities and invest in storage, transportation infrastructure and domestic food production.
He also called for urgent action to address projections that nearly 35 million Nigerians could face acute and severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, describing the situation as a national emergency.
“No worker who contributes to the wealth of this country should go home unable to put food on the family table,” he said.
On education, the NASU president expressed concern over rising school fees, warning that the cost of schooling was increasingly threatening the ability of workers and low-income families to provide their children with quality education.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure adequate and sustainable funding for public educational institutions to make education accessible and affordable.
Hassan maintained that public education remained a public good that required sufficient government investment, arguing that no country could build a productive economy while denying its citizens access to quality education.
He said NASU opposed policies and excessive fees that forced children from working-class and poor households out of classrooms and lecture halls.
The union president also called on governments at all levels to address the growing departure of skilled Nigerian professionals, including doctors, nurses, academics, engineers, information and communications technology professionals, and technicians.
He attributed the trend to poor remuneration, inadequate infrastructure, difficult working conditions and limited opportunities for professional advancement.
According to Hassan, reversing the exodus requires the creation of decent jobs, the provision of living wages, safer and more humane workplaces, functional infrastructure and greater investment in professional development.
He urged the government and employers to create conditions that would encourage Nigerian professionals to build their careers and raise their families in the country.
