President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage within two days. This directive was issued during a meeting with the government’s negotiation team, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in an interview following the closed-door meeting on Tuesday. He stated that the president had convened a meeting with representatives of the Federal Government involved in the minimum wage negotiations with labour unions.Idris explained, “The president has summoned a meeting of all those who negotiated on behalf of the federal government, including the secretary to the government of the federation, the minister of finance, the minister of budget planning, the minister of information, the minister of labour, and the NNPCL GMD.
The president directed the minister of finance to do the calculations and report back within two days so that we can have figures ready for negotiation with labour.”He emphasized the president’s commitment to accepting the committee’s resolutions and ensuring the welfare of Nigerians. “The government is not opposed to labour discussions or wage increases.
The government aims to balance its promises with the realities on the ground. We will work to ensure that any promises made are kept,” Idris said.Furthermore, President Tinubu has directed government representatives to collaborate with the organised private sector and sub-national entities to establish a new, affordable, and sustainable wage award for Nigerians. Idris noted, “The president has ordered all negotiators from the federal government, organised private sectors, and sub-nationals to come together to develop a new wage award that is realistic and sustainable.”
He assured that efforts would be made to present a new minimum wage for Nigerians within one week. “All parties will work together over the next week to ensure we have a new wage that is acceptable, sustainable, and realistic,” Idris added.
Other members of the negotiation team included the Ministers of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Labour, Information, and the Group Managing Director and CEO of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited.
This development comes as members of the organised labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), suspended their strike for five days on Tuesday. The strike, which began on Monday, was a response to the Federal Government’s failure to approve a new minimum wage by May 31.
After a six-hour meeting with labour leaders in Abuja on Monday night, the Federal Government reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to increasing the minimum wage offer above N60,000.
