Di Nigeria goment don inaugurate committee wey go negotiate a new national minimum wage for goment workers for di kontri. Dis na di first step to change di current minimum wage of N30,000 wey don dey exist since 2019.
Dis move dey come exactly eight months after President Bola Tinubu promise to increase minimum wage wen e announce say goment go stop to dey pay petroleum subsidy.
According to the Secretary to di Government of di Federation, George Akume, dis committee go dey headed by Bukar Goni Aji, wey be former Head of Civil Service, and di members go cut across federal and state goments, di private sector and organised labour.
Here na few tins to sabi:
Membership
From di federal goment side, members include: Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State, Labour and Employment; Wale Edun, Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of di Economy; Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget Economic Planning; and Yemi Esan, Head of Civil Service, among odas.
Six state govnors – one each from di six geopolitical zones of di kontri – go represent state goments for di committee. Dem be:
- Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State – North Central
- Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State – North East
- Umar Dikko Radda of Katsina State – North West
- Charles Soludo of Anambra State – South East
- Ademola Adeleke of Osun State – South West, and
- Otu Bassey Edet of Cross River State – South South.
Di chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, im counterpart for Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, and oda top top pipo for NLC and TUC, na dem go represent di organised labour.
For di private sector, e get leaders of di Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA); Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA); National Association of Small and Medium Enterprise (NASME); and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
Terms of reference and time line
According to di SGF, George Akume, during di inauguration ceremony for Aso Villa dis Tuesday, di main terms of reference na “to arrive at a fair and sustainable minimum wage”.
“Dis process no be just about numbers, na also to recognise di dignity of work and ensure say evri Nigerian get opportunity to earn a living wage wey go allow dem meet di basic needs and participate well well for society.”
E no clear wen di committee dey expected to turn in dia report, but Vice President Kashim Shettima wey conduct di inauguration ceremony tell members of di committee make dem “ensure timely submission of dia recommendations”.
Minimum wage for Nigeria
Di first national minimum wage Act wey come into existence for 1981 tok say minimum wage go be N125 per month.
For 1991, e rise to N250 per month, and by di year 2000 e increase to N5,500 per month, bifor goment increase am again for 2011 reach N18,900 per month.
E dey like dat reach April 2019 wen President Muhammadu Buhari sign a new minimum wage act of N30,000 into law.
Di law on minimum wage dey binding not only for federal goment, but also for state goments and private employers.
Exemptions to di law na company where pipo dey work on part time basis or where dem dey pay pipo based on commission; company wey dey work seasonally such as agriculture; and company wey no get up to 25 employees.
Di punishment for not obeying dis law na fine of ₦250,000 or six months imprisonment, or both.
However, e no be like dat in practice. In May 2022, former President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, bin tok say four states for Nigeria never implement di new Minimum Wage. Also, many private nursery and primary schools across di kontri still dey pay dia teachers below N30,000 per month.
