Minimum Wage Saga: Committee Delivers Report, Await Presidential Action

The Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage will present its findings to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu upon the return of Labour leaders from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
The 37-member panel will be mandated to deliver the report by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
The ILO conference, commencing on June 3, will conclude on Friday.
The submission of the report will lay the foundation for a revised national minimum wage for employees.
The committee, spearheaded by Bukar Goni Aji and commissioned in January by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has concluded its work and formally delivered its report to the SGF.
The committee, consisting of representatives from federal and state governments, Labour, and the Organised Private Sector (OPS), concluded negotiations last Friday.

Following the conclusion of discussions, the government and OPS representatives suggested N62,000 as the minimum wage, while Labour proposed N250,000.
The governors, represented by Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who was a technical member, expressed concerns about the feasibility of paying N62,000, as conveyed in a statement by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

According to a statement released yesterday by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Segun Imohiosen, a formal presentation of the report will be conducted for President Tinubu upon the return of labour leaders from Switzerland.

The statement states: “The Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage has completed its mandate and submitted its findings to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Monday, June 10, 2024.
“A formal presentation of the report will be made to Mr. President for necessary action when the leadership of Organised Labour, along with representatives from the Government and Organised Private Sector presently attending the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference in Geneva, return to the country.
“The SGF expressed gratitude to the committee’s chairman, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, and its members for their dedication and efforts.”
President Tinubu is anticipated to review the report and take appropriate measures before forwarding it to the National Assembly for further legislative action.
Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Chris Onyeka, reiterated the stance of labour leadership that only N250,000 is deemed acceptable as the minimum wage.