The Federal Government has assured that President Bola Tinubu is dedicated to implementing a national minimum wage exceeding ₦60,000 as the nationwide strike by Organised Labour continues to impact economic activities in Nigeria.
George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, made this announcement following a lengthy meeting with labour leaders in Abuja on Monday evening.
Akume stated that the President is fully committed to a national minimum wage higher than N60,000 and that the tripartite committee will convene daily over the next week to reach a mutually acceptable agreement on the matter.
In light of the President’s commitment, Organised Labour has agreed to promptly convene a meeting of its organs to discuss the President’s pledge.
The meeting was attended by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo, along with government representatives including Akume, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris Malagi, and Labour Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
The strike, which began on Monday, has impacted businesses, airports, universities, hospitals, and power supply. Both NLC and TUC argue that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is insufficient to support the average Nigerian worker, especially since not all governors are adhering to the wage award that expired in April 2024.
The Minimum Wage Act of 2019, signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, stipulates that the wage should be reviewed every five years to align with the evolving economic needs of workers.
Labour has set a May 31 deadline for the new minimum wage, leading to a nationwide strike commencing on June 3, 2024, due to the government committee’s failure to reach an agreement and address the electricity tariff hike reversal.
Labour declined three government offers during the unsuccessful negotiations, with the most recent one being N60,000. Following this, the TUC and the NLC withdrew from the talks and firmly demanded ₦494,000 as the revised minimum wage.
