The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige has advised the incoming administration to start discussions on the review of minimum wage presently obtainable in Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 29, Ngige said that discussion for the increment of minimum wage should commence after the inauguration of the President- Elect, Bola Ahmad Tinubu.
The minister said that there was need for the next administration to come up with a minimum wage higher than the present #30,000 by May 2024.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was able to achieve an increase in the wages of civil servants in Nigeria.
Ngige noted that the proposed increment is to enable government workers mitigate the economic effects of inflation and high cost of living.
“It is a tripartite negotiations involving public sector, private sector and state government”, he said.
Ngige who was part of the committee that negotiated on the current minimum wage in 2018, noted that the minimum wage in West African countries should be reviewed every five years to reflect the standard of living.
“We entrenched in all bill or that minimum wage till now have an automaticity of review every five years.
“So from 2019, when we came into effect to 2024 will be five Years but we also made a recommendation in our document which is submitted that the discussion and negotiation should start one year from May 2024 when it is supposed to kick- start.
“So, I’m envisaging that as from May 2023, the government will empanel the new minimum wage review committee for the nation”.
Ngige however, bemoaned the failure of many states to implement the current wage of #30,000.
