By Abiola Olawale
Although there is no substantive agreement yet, the Federal Government has announced that the new minimum wage will take effect from May 1, 2024.
The Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, stated this on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, while addressing Nigerian workers at the May Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
The minister urged Nigerian workers to remain calm, adding that the Federal Government is going to backdate all the payments whenever the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage concludes its negotiations, and President Bola Tinubu signs it into law.
She said it is regrettable that the new national minimum wage is not ready before today, May 1, but that a wide consultation is ongoing, to ensure that the document is out as soon as possible.
The New Diplomat reports that the N30,000 minimum wage five-year tenure elapsed on April 18, 2024, and has since been a topic among Nigerian workers.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have, at various times, called on the Tinubu administration to hasten the upward review of wage awards.
Of late, the organised labour demanded N615,000 as the new minimum wage for workers to cope with the many economic realities and high cost of living in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has lauded the contributions of workers in Nigeria to the growth of the country.
He gave the commendation in his address to the workers, presented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at an event to mark the 2024 Workers’ Day in Abuja.
Tinubu said the federal government is open to receiving the recommendations of the committee on the new national minimum wage.
He gave the assurance that the reform agenda of his administration is geared towards the progress of Nigeria.
