The Federal Government’s 37-member tripartite committee tasked with deliberating on the minimum wage is set to reconvene in mid-April to continue discussions and consultations. The aim is to finalize negotiations on the new minimum wage, which is expected to be announced by President Bola Tinubu on May 1, 2024.
Hakeem Ambali, the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress and a member of the tripartite committee, revealed this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday.
Ambali explained that the committee members are currently in the process of collating and analyzing the reports gathered from zonal public hearings conducted across the six geo-political zones of the country between March 27 and March 28, 2024.
The impending minimum wage adjustment is anticipated to alleviate the impact of the subsidy removal on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
During the zonal public hearings, diverse suggestions for the minimum wage were put forward by different regions. The South West proposed N794,000; North East suggested N560,000; North West proposed N485,000; North Central suggested N709,000; South South demanded N850,000, while the South East proposed N540,000.
Ambali, when asked about the outcome of the recent meeting, stated that the committee has been diligently compiling and analyzing the reports from the zonal hearings.
Regarding the date for the next committee meeting, Ambali indicated it is scheduled for mid-April.
The tripartite committee was established by Vice President Kashim Shettima on January 30, 2024, acting on behalf of President Tinubu. Its membership spans federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labour. The committee’s primary mandate is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.
In his address during the committee’s inauguration, Shettima emphasized the importance of a speedy resolution, highlighting the urgency as the current N30,000 minimum wage was set to expire at the end of March 2024.
The House of Representatives had initiated moves in May 2017 to amend the National Minimum Wage Act, proposing a mandatory review of workers’ remuneration every five years.
