Tinubu Approves N70,000 Minimum Wage For Nigerian Workers

President Bola Tinubu has approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for Nigerian workers, with a commitment to review the national minimum wage law every three years.

This significant development follows a meeting between the President and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

The Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the announcement in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. Onanuga highlighted that the President also promised to support the private sector and sub-national entities in implementing the new minimum wage.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved N70,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers with a promise to review the national minimum wage law every three years. The President also promised to find ways to assist the private sector and the sub-nationals to pay the minimum wage,” Onanuga’s statement read.

During the meeting, President Tinubu was commended by labour leaders for his “fatherly gesture.” In addition to the new minimum wage, the President vowed to address the outstanding four months’ salaries owed to university unions, using his executive discretion.

Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, explained that the unions accepted the N70,000 proposal due to the additional incentives and the assurance of regular reviews. He emphasized that the promise of a review every three years was a key factor in their agreement.

The approval of the new minimum wage came during the second meeting between the President and labour leaders within a week. Once ratified by the National Assembly, the N70,000 minimum wage will replace the previous N30,000 minimum wage, which expired on April 18, 2024.

Onanuga’s announcement on X at 03:31 pm also noted, “The Labour leaders applauded President Tinubu for the fatherly gesture, as the President also promised to use his discretionary powers to meet the demands of university unions demanding unpaid four months’ salaries.”