In the days leading up to Monday, the terms minimum wage and living wage were merely whispers, a temporary discomfort like a mild itch. By Monday, these whispers had grown into a painful and unavoidable issue, similar to an itchy, weepy wound that hurt like hell.

"The minimum amount of remuneration that an employer is required to pay wage earners for the work performed during a given period, which cannot be reduced by collective agreement or an individual contract" - International Labour Organisation

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), representing workers across Nigeria, had long been advocating for an increase in the minimum wage to a level that could be considered a living wage. However, both the federal government and the general populace treated their demands as a minor inconvenience until the NLC announced an indefinite strike set to begin at midnight on Sunday.

"A theoretical income level that allows individuals or families to afford adequate shelter, food, and other necessities. The goal of a living wage is to enable employees to earn enough for a satisfactory standard of living and to prevent them from falling into poverty". - Investopedia

On Monday morning, I woke up to a low battery on my phone and multiple social media updates about the strike. The previous night's power outage prevented me from charging my devices, and I quickly realized the gravity of the situation when I remembered my flight scheduled for the next day. With only 10% battery left, I checked for flight updates and felt a jolt of panic as I discovered that the ports had been closed.

My morning turned into chaos as I frantically tried to contact the airline's customer care line, only to be put on hold for several minutes. With my battery dwindling and no power to recharge, I realized that I hadn't eaten or clocked in at work. Desperately, I packed my gadgets into my work bag and headed out to find a place to charge them.

Luckily, I found a cybercafe that offered charging services, but the cost to charge all my gadgets was relatively exorbitant. With filling stations closed, fuel became scarce, fuel prices had skyrocketed, driving up the cost of any service requiring electricity. Miraculously, several online transactions I had made earlier in the day were stuck in cyberspace, adding to my frustration. By evening, despite my efforts, I couldn't get through to the airline's customer care. It became evident that all my plans had capsized so I resigned to my fate.

To be honest, the strike's impact on my life within 24 hours was overwhelming. It highlighted the severe consequences of ignoring the demands for a living wage and the urgent need for solutions to prevent such disruptions in the future. The events of that day sirened the importance of addressing the issues surrounding minimum wage and living wage to ensure a stable and sustainable standard of living for all workers.