President Bola Tinubu met with labour leaders on Thursday to discuss the minimum wage, but the talks were adjourned until next week to allow for wider consultation with all stakeholders. The labour leaders, led by the Presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, had a one-hour meeting with the President.
The Tripartite Committee on the new national minimum wage had submitted two figures to the President – N62,000 from the government and organised private sector, and N250,000 from the Organised Labour. The President had delayed sending a figure to the National Assembly to consult with all relevant stakeholders.
The labour leaders and the President discussed the current economic realities in the country, but no negotiations took place. The labour leaders emphasized the need for an upward adjustment to the minimum wage, citing the difficulties faced by Nigerian workers. They also commended the President on the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming local government autonomy.
President Tinubu suggested reviewing the minimum wage every two years instead of five, as stipulated in the law. He also urged the labour leaders to consider the N62,000 offer, noting that it is double the current minimum wage of N30,000.
The talks were adjourned until next week to allow for further consultation and internal discussions. The labour leaders and the government expressed hope for a positive outcome after next week’s talks.