Nigerian workers agitating for minimum wage increment during the 2017 Worker’s Day celebration in Abuja on Monday (1/5/17). 02369/1/5/2017/Ernest Okorie/
Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige has stated that new national minimum wage may not be implemented in September as earlier said.
Ngige told newsmen on Tuesday that the September date was just a date to conclude negotiation on the issue.
“The committee on the new National Minimum wage is expected to conclude its work by the end of September and present its report to the government for deliberation and approval before an executive bill is sent to the National Assembly on the issue,” he said.
But he stated that the issue of capacity to pay was also paramount in the deliberations on the minimum wage.
The minister said further that in the course of the zonal public hearings, many state governments made different submissions ranging from N22,000 monthly to N58,000.
He added that the governors were also of the believe that for the new minimum wage to become effective, the current revenue allocation formula would have to be reviewed in favour of the states and local government.
He stated that some other states were also of the view that the minimum wage should be maintained at the current N18,000 in view of the inability of some states to pay the current wages.
As stated by Ngige, when the minimum wage committee concludes its report, it will be submitted to the National Council of State and the Federal Executive Council for approval before a bill is sent to the National Assembly to legalise the work of the committee.