Federal Government Warns Against N494,000 Minimum Wage Demand

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has cautioned that the N494,000 national minimum wage demanded by organised labour, which would total N9.5 trillion, could destabilise the economy and jeopardise the welfare of over 200 million Nigerians.

Idris addressed a news conference in Abuja in response to the threat by organised labour to strike if their demands were not met.

He highlighted that the Federal Government’s offer of a N60,000 minimum wage, representing a 100% increase from the existing 2019 wage, has been accepted by the organised private sector, a member of the tripartite committee.

“The Federal Government’s New Minimum Wage proposal amounts to a 100 per cent increase on the existing minimum wage of 2019.

Labour, however, wanted N494,000, which would increase by 1,547 per cent on the existing wage.

“The sum of N494,000 national minimum wage which Labour is seeking would cumulatively amount to the sum N9.5 trillion bill to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Nigerians need to understand that whereas the FG is desirous of ample remuneration for Nigerian workers, what is most critical is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not encourage any action that could lead to massive job loss, especially in the private sector, who may not be able to pay the wage demanded by the organised labour,” he said.

The minister stressed that while labour focuses on the take-home pay of about 1.2 million workers, the Federal Government is concerned with the welfare of over 200 million Nigerians, guided by principles of affordability, sustainability, and the overall health of the nation’s economy.

Idris appealed to organised labour to return to the negotiating table and embrace reasonable and realistic wages for their members.

He noted the Tinubu administration’s commitment to worker welfare, affirming that the wage award of N35,000 for federal workers would continue until a new national minimum wage is introduced.