New minimum wage to be ready next year

From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja

Ahead of the review of National Minimum Wage next year, National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) is monitoring the implementation of the existing N30,000 minimum wage by the federal, state and local government ministries, departments and agencies as well as government-owned enterprises.

So, NSIWC is calling on the agencies concerned to co-operate with the monitoring officers.

The exercise which begins nationwide from Monday, January 23, 2023 is aimed at ascertaining the ability of the agencies to pay and the compliance of public and private employers/organisations that are liable in line with the provisions of the 2019 Minimum Wage Act.

It’s also to ascertain the payment of the monthly minimum wage of N30,000, and to ensure that employers keep adequate records of wage/conditions of service of employees.

A statement by the Head, Public Affairs, Emmanuel Njoku said that the exercise will also enlighten the public and private employers/organisations on the economic benefits in adhering to the payment of the National Minimum Wage.

It will also help in obtaining baseline data on remuneration policies and practices of private sector organisations in order to enrich the commission’s data bank on staff compensation.

The exercise, according to the statement, will enable the commission obtain information that will aid the process of the next year’s review of National Minimum Wage.

According to Njoku, the exercise will cover the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT).

The monitoring team members are drawn from key stakeholders, including, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Federal Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning, Head of Service of the Federation, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office of the Federation and National Bureau of Statistics.

Recall that the Labour Act of 2004 set the standard for the minimum amount of naira a worker in Nigeria is supposed to make. In 2004, the minimum wage was put at ₦5,500.00 per month. In 2011, the National Minimum Wage Act of 2011 set the minimum wage to ₦18,000.00 per month.
Also, in 2019, the current minimum wage of N30,000.00 per month became effective.