The Nigerian Senate has passed the National Minimum Wage Act 2019 (Amendment Bill) today. The bill was rapidly processed through second and third readings just minutes after President Bola Tinubu transmitted it to the National Assembly.
The President’s request to increase the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 and to shorten the review period from five years to three years was met with immediate approval. This legislative action follows recent negotiations between President Tinubu and the leadership of the Organised Labour.
Tinubu’s initial proposal of ₦250,000 was rejected by Labour, which also opposed linking the wage increase to a rise in petrol prices.
Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), commented, “Labour accepted ₦70,000 and rejected a proposal to pay ₦250,000 minimum wage on the condition of increasing petrol prices.” He emphasized that the acceptance of ₦70,000 was based on the new review period for minimum wage adjustments.
The bill’s passage comes roughly six weeks after President Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2024, in which he promised to introduce an executive bill for a revised national minimum wage.
In other news, Imo East Senatorial District representative Ezenwa Onyewuchi has defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Senate Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele announced the defection during Tuesday’s plenary. Similarly, House of Representatives member Salman Idris has moved from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the APC.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma attended the Senate session, witnessing Onyewuchi’s defection. Onyewuchi cited internal crises within the Labour Party as his reason for leaving, stating his decision aligns with constitutional provisions. Following his defection, he was welcomed into the APC faction of the Senate Chambers.
