Boma Achenimie 
Barring the last-minute change, emerging reports have indicated that the 37-member tripartite committee on minimum wage established by the Federal Government will reconvene in mid-April.
The committee will continue negotiations and consultations on the upcoming minimum wage announcement by President Bola Tinubu, scheduled for May 1, 2024.
Speaking on the development in Abuja on Sunday, Hakeem Ambali, the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and a committee member gave the update.
Ambali mentioned that the committee is currently reviewing and analyzing the reports received from the zonal public hearings.
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The zonal public hearings took place across the country’s six geo-political zones between March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024.
The new minimum wage aims to mitigate the impact of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit. Various zones proposed different minimum wage amounts during the public hearings:
- South West: N794,000
- North East: N560,000
- North West: N485,000
- North Central: N709,000
- South-South: N850,000
- South East: N540,000
On the recent meeting outcome, Ambali mentioned, “We have been compiling and analyzing zonal reports.” When asked about the next meeting date, he confirmed it to be in mid-April.
The committee was established by Tinubu on January 30, 2024, through Vice President Kashim Shettima. The panel includes members from federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labour, with the task of recommending a new national minimum wage.
During the inauguration, Shettima urged members to expedite the resolution process and submit reports early, as the current N30,000 minimum wage expires at the end of March 2024. “This timely submission is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage,” remarked Shettima.
In 2017, the House of Representatives initiated an amendment to the National Minimum Wage Act, calling for a mandatory review of workers’ remuneration every five years.
