Minimum Wage Committee Set to Reconvene in Mid-April

The tripartite committee on minimum wage, comprising 37 members, is scheduled to reconvene in mid-April to continue negotiations and consultations on the anticipated new minimum wage, set to be announced by President Bola Tinubu on May 1, 2024. Hakeem Ambali, the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress and a committee member, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja on Sunday. Ambali explained that the committee is currently collating and analyzing reports gathered from zonal public hearings held across the country’s six geo-political zones between March 27 and March 28, 2024.

During these public hearings, diverse suggestions for the minimum wage were proposed by different zones. The South West proposed N794,000, the North East suggested N560,000, the North West proposed N485,000, the North Central recommended N709,000, the South South demanded N850,000, and the South East suggested N540,000. The forthcoming minimum wage is expected to mitigate the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit.

Regarding the outcome of the recent meeting, Ambali indicated that the committee is diligently compiling and analyzing the zonal reports. When queried about the date for the next committee meeting, he confirmed it is scheduled for mid-April. The committee, inaugurated by Vice President Kashim Shettima on January 30, 2024, aims to propose a new national minimum wage, involving representatives from federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labor. Shettima stressed the urgency of the committee’s work, emphasizing the need for a timely resolution as the current N30,000 minimum wage is set to expire at the end of March 2024. Additionally, the House of Representatives moved to amend the National Minimum Wage Act in May 2017, advocating for a mandatory review of workers’ remuneration every five years.