The
president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the sum
of #70,000 for Nigerian workers. This approval was announced during a meeting
with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union
Congress (TUC).
Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, stated that
the approval includes a commitment to review the national minimum wage law
every three years. Additionally, efforts will be made to support the private
sector and state governments in paying the new minimum wage.
The minimum
wage has been a contentious issue between the federal government and labour
unions. Both unions initiated a strike after the federal government missed the
May 31 deadline to approve a new minimum wage and reverse the hike in
electricity tariffs. The strike significantly disrupted critical sectors of the
economy, including schools, businesses, hospitals, and airports, and led to the
shutdown of the national grid.
After
days of negotiations, the labour unions agreed to a one-week suspension of
their nationwide strike to facilitate uninterrupted discussions with the
government. Initially, the unions demanded ₦494,000 as the minimum wage but
later reduced their request to ₦250,000 after extensive negotiations. The
federal government then proposed ₦62,000 before
settling on the recently announced ₦70,000.
Meanwhile,
the Nigeria Labour Congress has accepted the new wage. Its president, Joe Ajaero, said the unions agreed to
the offer because of other incentives attached and the president’s promise of a
wage review every three years, a significant improvement from previous
practices.
Once
approved by the National Assembly, the new minimum wage will replace the
₦30,000 minimum wage that expired on April 18, 2024.
