Minimum wage: House won’t abandon Nigerian workers – Deputy Speaker

Kano promises industrial harmony ahead of 2027 elections

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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The House of Representatives has reiterated its commitment to workers’ welfare, insisting that it will not abandon Nigerian workers amid economic challenges and the rising cost of living.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, stated this while delivering a goodwill message at the third annual conference of the Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

Kalu, who was represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, said the 10th House, under the leadership of Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, had continued to prioritise workers’ welfare through legislative interventions and resolutions aimed at ensuring decent work and a living wage.

He recalled that the House passed the new national minimum wage bill within hours of its presentation on 23 July 2024, describing the move as evidence of the legislature’s responsiveness to workers’ needs.

“Within hours, we had a new minimum wage,” he said, adding that the House had also approved palliatives following the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 to cushion the impact on Nigerians.

He said the House remained committed to protecting the dignity of labour and ensuring that workers received what was due to them.

Kalu also urged journalists to participate actively in the 2027 general elections, appealing to them to fulfil their civic responsibilities while continuing to shape conversations around workers’ welfare, economic reforms and governance.

The Deputy Speaker said the award to be conferred on him by LACAN was not merely a personal honour but a challenge to do more for Nigerians, particularly workers.

Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has promised to sustain industrial harmony and ensure regular payment of salaries and allowances as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

Governor Abba Yusuf said his administration would not use salaries and allowances as political tools, pledging to continue paying workers, negotiating with labour unions and implementing agreements reached with them.

Represented by the Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Dr Ibrahim Maikarfi, he said: “Election is not a reason to stop governance. We will not use salary and allowances as political tools. We shall continue to pay, continue to negotiate, continue to implement.”

The governor said Kano was among the early states to commence implementation of the N71,000 minimum wage, alongside consequential adjustments negotiated with the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.

He added that the government had directed that no worker in the state public service should earn below the minimum wage, while a technical committee had addressed outstanding issues concerning allowances and consequential adjustments for health workers, teachers and nurses.

Yusuf said the state maintained regular salary payments on the 25th of every month and had released promotion arrears, death benefits and pension benefits.

He also disclosed that the government had recruited more than 2,000 health workers, with further recruitment ongoing.

Acknowledging the hardship arising from fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification, the governor urged organised labour to sustain dialogue and to treat strikes as a last resort.

He pledged that his administration would partner with labour and the media to promote industrial harmony, economic stability and democratic maturity ahead of the 2027 elections.