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Summary
On International Equal Pay Day, We demand an end to wage discrimination against women in Nigeria, calling for pay transparency, audits, accountability, and enforcement of equal pay as a human right.
As the world celebrates International Equal Pay Day today, we at Naija Feminists Media demand that Nigerian organisations stop exploiting women through pay discrimination and implement policies that guarantee equal pay for equal work.
Women in Nigeria still earn less than men even when they hold the same qualifications and do the same jobs. Research from the African Economic Research Consortium (2023) confirms a significant wage gap in favour of men across all income levels in Nigeria. Globally, women earn around 20% less than men on average (ILO, 2024). This is theft disguised as policy. It is exploitation. The gap is even wider for women in informal work, women with disabilities, and women who face multiple forms of oppression.
Equal pay is not charity. It is not up for debate. It is a human right. Nigeria has ratified international conventions, including the ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, yet organisations continue to hide behind wage secrecy and biased systems to keep women underpaid.
We at Naija Feminists Media demand immediate action:
- Publish pay scales so women know what their labour is worth. End wage secrecy that hides theft
- Conduct pay audits, make the findings public, and close every gap
- Stop sidelining women for promotions and stop paying women less for the same role
- Guarantee that women can report pay discrimination anonymously and without retaliation
We also demand that the Nigerian government fine employers who underpay women, bar repeat offenders from contracts, and treat wage theft as a crime. Empty warnings mean nothing.
Naija Feminists Media remains committed to institutional and systemic accountability until gender equality becomes a norm in every facet of Nigeria.
In solidarity,
Naija Feminists Media
