The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has upheld his promise to the workers’ unions and has transmitted a new national minimum wage bill to the National Assembly this morning for consideration and passage into law.
The presidential executive bill was read this morning by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, in plenary.
If passed, the bill will legalize the agreed sum of ₦70,000 or $50 est. as the new minimum wage, up from the ₦30,000 enacted in the law in 2019.
The bill is also expected to have a lifespan of only three years compared to the previous five years, as agreed to by the labor unions and the federal government.
In his letter to the lawmakers, President Tinubu asked for a speedy passage of the bill to ensure its immediate implementation now that all disputations have dissipated, a national protest is smearing on the horizon.
The parliament is to act swiftly to cool tempers in the Nigerian polity, where many are agitated at rising food costs amid stagnant wages.
The bill must be concurred on by both chambers, the Senate and House of Representatives, before being sent to the president for signing into law.
Employment and Productivity Minister Nkiru Onyejiocha, at the May 1 Workers Day celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja, promised the workers that any initially agreed minimum wage would take effect on May 1.
If this is implemented, along with all the consequential adjustments to other levels of workers’ wages, Nigerian workers could look forward to a significant increase in their income in the coming months, bringing much-needed relief from financial strain.
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