Nigeria Labour Congress has proposed a N794,000 as minimum wage for workers in the South West geopolitical political zone.
NLC Lagos chapter chairperson, Funmi Sessi said Thursday at the ongoing public hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage in Ikeja, Lagos all members of the labour union in the South West agreed on the figure.
On January 30, 2024, President Bola Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, inaugurated a 37-member panel to review the minimum wage.
Other geo-political zones are expected to also submit their realistic proposals for a new national minimum wage.
Following the massive devaluation of the naira and attendant inflation, the NLC leadership has consistently called on the government to review the national minimum of N30, 000 to reflect current economic realities.
The House of Representatives also moved a motion for a review of the minimum wage. Rep Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) sponsored the motion.
“The rising rate of inflation in the country has made it difficult for the average Nigerian to afford basic needs such as food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transportation and clothing,” Rep Chinda declared.
“The minimum wage (in Nigeria) was increased by the president recently, but the purchasing power is low owing to the continued rise in the cost of living in the country and the fall of the Naira,” he said.
