Government, Organized Labor Reach Agreement To Increase Minimum Wage Amid Indefinite Strike Announcement

The federal government has decided to increase the minimum wage from N30,000 to more than N60,000, following an emergency meeting with Organized Labor on Monday.

The meeting came after Organized Labor announced an indefinite strike on Monday over demand for a new minimum wage.

Presidency Nigeria shared a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), revealing that the meeting between the Federal Government and Organized Labor has decided to make the new minimum wage higher than N60,000.

According to the statement, the president is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000.

The Tripartite Committee will be meeting every day throughout the next week to reach an agreeable National Minimum Wage, adding that no worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action.

This committee was created on Jan. 30 earlier this year by the federal government, and consists of 37 members. The committee's job was to advise and suggest a national minimum wage that fits Nigeria's economy in the current conditions.

The meeting resolutions were signed by Minister of Information Mohammed Idris and Minister of State for Labor and Employment Nkeiruka Onyejeocha from the government's side while President of Nigeria Labor of Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero and President of Trade Union Congress (TUC) Festus Osifo signed on behalf of Organized Labor.

NLC and TUC noted that the current minimum wage of N30,000 was not feasible in the current economy for an average Nigerian worker, adding that not all governors provided the current wage award which expired in April 2024.

The Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun on Sunday said, "It is difficult because the worker deserves his wage, and given what is going on, they deserve a change and, by law, every five years, and maybe, we shouldn't have to wait five years every time to set a new wage scale," Channels TV reported.

"The fact is that by law, it is a minimum wage," he added, explaining that "it is a fixed figure, not a scale. So, there are elements of how we have set the minimum wage in the past, particularly what we called the consequential adjustment, which, given what Labor is asking today, will be unaffordable across the board."

Last month, President Bola Tinubu assured the Nigerian workers that their days of worrying are gone, adding that he doesn't take their patience and support for granted.