Council of State Pegs Minimum Wage at N27k

Council of State Pegs Minimum Wage at N27k

The National Council of State has pegged the national minimum wage at N27,000 for states and the private sector. The council also pegged N30,000 as the minimum wage for federal workers.

The council’s meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and was presided by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

The labour minister, Chris Ngige, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

Mr Ngige said the council also approved frequency of review of five years for the minimum wage. It also approved exemptions for establishments that are not employing up to 25 persons.

He said the national minimum wage bill will be transmitted to the National Assembly before the close of work on Wednesday as agreed with organised labour.

The labour minister said the council took into consideration the tripartite committee recommendations of N30,000, federal government’s proposal of N24,000 and the governors proposal of N22,700 before arriving at the decision.

Mr Ngige assured that despite the announcement by the National Assembly to proceed on recess until after the elections, the concerned committees in the National Assembly will continue work on the bill.

Tuesday’s meeting was attended by a former head of Nigeria’s Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan; former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan and former military head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Also in attendance were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Others are former Chief Justice of the Federation, Mohammed Uwais, State governors in attendance include those of Osun, Kebbi, Zamfara, Plateau, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Edo, Lagos, Niger, Borno, Ogun, Ekiti, Kogi as well as the deputy governors of Bauchi, Kaduna, and Rivers.

Others present were the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello; and Mr Ngige.

National Economic Council (NEC) has resolved to take the consultation on the new N30,000 minimum wage as demanded by the organised labour to the Council of State.

This is even as governors have insisted that payment of the new minimum wage will not be possible without a review of the present revenue formula in the country.