The Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has called for a review of the minimum wage. He said that the incoming administration of Tinubu should review the N30,000 currently obtainable in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Ngige was a member of the committee that negotiated the present minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000. This was in 2019. The committee at that time noted that it was important to review the minimum wage every five years. Also, this was to enable the minimum wage to fit the current standard of living.
Chris Ngige spoke on this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday. Further, he mentioned that in his handover notes, he would include the discussion surrounding the minimum wage. So, the review should begin immediately after the new government is sworn in in May 2023. Then the implementation will take place in 2024.
Importantly, the discussions would involve the public and private sectors and state governments. Besides, the minimum wage bill states that it is automatically reviewed every five years.
His words were, “So, from 2019 when it came into effect to 2024, it will be five years.” Then, there is a recommendation in our document, which we submitted, that the discussion or negotiation should start one year from May 2024, when it is supposed to kick off.
“So, I’m envisaging that as of May 2023, the government will empanel the new minimum wage review committee for the nation.”
Also, Ngige noted that the Federal Government has approved a pay rise for civil servants, which would take effect from January 1, 2023, adding that the provision is already included in the 2023 budget.