The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, on Thursday, assured the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and the workers of an improved and sustainable minimum wage.
Recently, the two primary labour organisations, the NLC and the TUC presented a proposal of N615,000 minimum wage to the committee.
Despite May Day celebrations on Wednesday, the government refrained from announcing a new minimum wage, citing its reluctance to accept labour’s proposal.
The NGF, in a communique issued after its virtual meeting on Wednesday, signed by its Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and made available to journalists on Thursday, stated that the 37-member tripartite committee tasked with reviewing the National Minimum Wage is still in consultations and has not completed its work.
The governors’ forum stated that it is assessing each state government’s fiscal capacity and the potential effects of different proposals to determine an enhanced minimum wage that can be feasibly sustained by the states.
The communique read in part, “The Forum celebrates with workers across the country for their dedication to service and patience, as we work with the Federal Government, labour, organised private sector and relevant stakeholders in arriving at an implementable national minimum wage.
“While we acknowledge various initiatives adopted recently 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. We remain committed to the process and promise that better wages will be the invariable outcome of ongoing negotiations.”
