Nigeria Govt raises minimum wage proposal to $37

A source reported to PUNCH that the new proposal has been put forward, though it remains uncertain if Organised Labour will accept this revised figure.

Joe Ajaero, the National President of the NLC, has been vocal about demanding a N615,000 minimum wage, justifying this figure based on an analysis of the current economic climate and the necessities of an average Nigerian family.

The breakdown in negotiations has been attributed to what Ajaero describes as the “unreasonable action” of the government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS).

In contrast, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), representing the OPS, labeled the unions’ walkout as premature and urged a return to the negotiation table for the benefit of workers and national progress.

Ajaero defended the decision to leave the negotiations, criticizing the government’s initial N48,000 proposal as insufficient and highlighting the disparity with the private sector’s minimum wage.

He also called for transparency from the government to restore trust in the negotiation process.

The NLC President emphasized the unions’ commitment to advocating for Nigerian workers and urged the government to approach future negotiations with a more realistic and transparent stance, reflective of the workers’ contributions to national development and the socioeconomic challenges they face.