Abuja, Jan. 18, 2024:The Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has called on the Federal Government to set up the Committee on the new National Minimum Wage for workers in the country.
Mr Adewale-Smart Oyerinde, Director-General of NECA, said on Wednesday in Abuja.
It would be recalled that organised Labour in their separate new year messages had called on the federal government to set up the Committee on national minimum wage.
Also, it would be recalled that the last national minimum wage for the Nigerian workers was implemented in 2019, five years ago hence the appeal for a new National Minimum Wage.
The Committee on the national minimum wage made of government, organised private sector and organised labour, were expected to deliberate on the national minimum wage fixing for workers in the country.
“Towards the end of last year, November and December, the government had requested for the nominees of organised private sector, which we have forwarded to them and I believed, organised labour have forwarded theirs to them.
“What we are expecting is for the government to actually call the committee to commence their work immediately.
“We are hoping that before the end of this month, the committee will be called to commence deliberation that will lead us to arriving at the new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers,” he said.
He also noted that President Bola Tinubu’s new year broadcast on the minimum wage would still be subjected to the negotiations by the committee using the framework of the ILO convention 131 for national minimum wage fixing.
Meanwhile, Oyerinde has urged the government to take definitive actions on the issue of the substantive Minister of Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
“If she is not going to be confirm as the new minister of Labour, then they should expeditiously appoint one.
“Because the minister of labour also have critical role to play in the whole conversation of negotiating for the new national minimum wage.”
On reduction on the number of entourage by Mr President, Oyerinde said the new policy was commendable.
“It is a good start to say let’s reduce the number of entourage whose function you can not really define in the first place.
“We hope that this will be strictly implemented and more areas where there are linkages will be critically looked at and addressed,” he said.
