Minimum Wages Set in Nigeria
The government has done a sensible thing: different minimum wages for state and federal workers. If they have gone with the flat N30,000, most states would have struggled to honour their commitments. Sure, even N30,000 is not really anything. Yet, for workers, the issue is not whether it is N27,000 or N50,000 but getting what is promised on time. Anyone that plans to work for N27,000 knows the implications of that paltry sum, but not sending that wage on time is practically sheer wickedness. [Update: NLC has rejected the N27,000 proposal]
The National Council of State has pegged the national minimum wage at N27,000 for states and the private sector. The council also pegged N30,000 as the minimum wage for federal workers.
The council’s meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and was presided by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.
The labour minister, Chris Ngige, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.
Mr Ngige said the council also approved frequency of review of five years for the minimum wage. It also approved exemptions for establishments that are not employing up to 25 persons.
He said the national minimum wage bill will be transmitted to the National Assembly before the close of work on Wednesday as agreed with organised labour.
The labour minister said the council took into consideration the tripartite committee recommendations of N30,000, federal government’s proposal of N24,000 and the governors proposal of N22,700 before arriving at the decision.