ABUJA — The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has pledged to implement a ₦500,000 national minimum wage, guarantee 24-hour uninterrupted electricity, and provide free public education across all levels if elected president in the January 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Sunday, September 13, 2026, the human rights activist and publisher outlined his platform’s radical economic and social agenda, asserting that Nigeria’s current ₦70,000 national minimum wage is fundamentally inadequate to cover basic living expenses amid prevailing inflationary pressures.
Rejecting criticisms that a ₦500,000 baseline salary would spark runaway inflation, Sowore argued that Nigeria’s inflation is cost-push—driven by high energy tariffs, petrol subsidy removal, and currency flotation rather than public sector worker compensation. He countered that drastic cuts to high political remuneration and governance overheads would generate the necessary fiscal space to fund public sector wage increases, expanded energy infrastructure, free education, and a planned one-million-unit annual public housing program.
Core Proposals Under the Sowore Agenda
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Wages & Labour Protections: Proposes a ₦500,000 minimum monthly salary for teachers, civil servants, military, and law enforcement personnel, alongside an immediate legislative end to workplace casualisation and contract staffing.
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Power & Energy Policy: Pledges to reinstate fuel subsidies to drive down transport costs and lower manufacturing inputs, coupled with state-backed investments to ensure 24-hour national electricity supply.
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Public Housing & Education: Commits to constructing one million dignified, mixed-income public housing units annually while guaranteeing completely free education at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
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Cost of Governance Realignment: Vows to eliminate legislative allowances and executive overheads, reallocating state capital toward social safety nets, industrial production, and infrastructure projects.
