FG Announces Plans to Launch a Committee on Tuesday to Review Minimum Wage

The federal government plans to inaugurate the tripartite committee on minimum wage on Tuesday, 30 January 2023.

This is according to a letter from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume to the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

According to the letter, the President had earlier approved the inauguration of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage to be held at the state house, Abuja.

It states,“I write to inform you that Mr. President has approved the inauguration of the Tripartite on National Minimum Wage. The inauguration will take place on Tuesday 30th January 2024 at the council chamber, Presidential villa, state house, Abuja at 12noon prompt.”

Occasioned by the removal of subsidy and the devaluation of the naira, Nigerians have been thrown into a cost-of-living crisis with inflation at a 27-year high at 28.92%.

President Tinubu had promised diverse palliatives to both households and businesses, but the pace of implementation has been snail-like. The President in October approved an N35,000 wage award to Federal civil servants and encouraged sub-national governments to do so.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has been mounting great pressure on the Tinubu administration to institute programs that will assuage Nigerians of their current predicament. Last year, organised Labour groups engaged in protest across the country demanding an increase in the minimum wage.

The President of the NLC in an interview stated that the new minimum wage organised labour groups are asking for would be between N100k and N200k– a huge increase from the current N30,000.

President Buhari in 2019 approved the new minimum wage of N30,000 after a series of negotiations with organised labour groups across the country. Since then, inflation has risen from 11.98% in 2019 to the current figure of 28.92%.