Minimum wage: Labour To Demand For N500,000

As the zonal public hearing on the new wage structure begins on Thursday, there are strong indications that organised Labour will push for N500,000 as the minimum wage

The public hearing is expected to take place in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja.


The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, in an interview on February 11, had stated that if the ongoing inflation continued, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1m for Nigerian workers.


However, a top official of the NLC, said based on proposals submitted by state chapters to the congress’ headquarters, the organised Labour might push for N500,000 at today’s meeting.


The public hearing on the new minimum wage, which will be held simultaneously in all six geopolitical zones, is expected to receive inputs from organised Labour, state governors, ministers, civil society groups, and the organised private sector on a new minimum wage reflective of the current economic realities and the workers’ aspirations.


President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, will chair the meeting in the North-East taking place in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.



The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, will preside over the South-West hearing taking place in Lagos.



President Bola Tinubu through his deputy, Kashim Shettima, on January 30, 2024, inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.


With its membership cutting across the federal and state governments, the private sector, and labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country on or before April 1 following the expiration of the current N30,000 minimum wage as provided by the law.



As the zonal public hearing takes off today, the state chapters of the Trade Union Congress in Ogun and Katsina have called for the minimum wage to be retained on the exclusive legislative list.



The Ogun State TUC Chairman, Akeem Lasisi, declined to speak on the amount being demanded as the minimum wage by his union, noting that the union’s national leadership would provide the direction in that regard.



However, he insisted that the government comply with the International Labour Organisation convention on labour remuneration.



Nigeria must comply with Convention 131 of the International Labour Organisation
“We are also demanding the National Minimum Wage be retained in the exclusive legislative list because a country must have a national minimum wage.
“I am submitting a memorandum at the public hearing. I want the national (TUC leadership) to give us the directive before I release it.’’