Nigeria Governors’ Forum Differ On Minimum Wage: Commits To Sustainable Pay

While the conversations for a new minimum wage for workers in Nigeria rages on, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum says it is yet to conclude work on what the states can sustainably pay.

A statement issued by the Chairman of the Forum, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, noted that as members of the 37-member tripartite committee for the national minimum wage which is yet to conclude its work, “the governors are reviewing their fiscal space to see the consequential impact of the various recommendations.”

“While we acknowledge various initiatives adopted of recent by way of wage awards and partial wage adjustments, it is imperative to state that the 37-member tripartite committee inaugurated on the national minimum wage, is still in consultation and yet to conclude its work.

“As members of the committee, we are reviewing our individual fiscal space as state governments and the consequential impact of various recommendations, to arrive at an improved minimum wage we can pay sustainably,” the statement read in part.

However, the governors said they remain committed to the process and promised that better wages will be the invariable outcome of ongoing negotiations.

“We remain committed to the process and promise that better wages will be the invariable outcome of ongoing negotiations”.

Meanwhile, the organised labour has submitted a proposal of N615,000 monthly minimum wage for workers, urging the federal government to approve same.