N60k minimum wage not sustainable, say governors

Governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) say the N60,000 minimum wage for workers is not sustainable.

In a statement issued on Friday by Halimah Salihu Ahmed, director of media and public affairs for NGF, the governors said the proposed minimum wage of N60,000 “cannot fly”.

The governors said many state governments would spend their entire allocation paying salaries, noting that there would be nothing left for developmental purposes.

“However, the Forum urges all parties to consider the fact that the minimum wage negotiations also involve consequential adjustments across all cadres, including pensioners,” the statement reads.

“The NGF cautions parties in this important discussion to look beyond just signing a document for the sake of it; any agreement to be signed should be sustainable and realistic.

“All things considered, the NGF holds that the N60,000 minimum wage proposal is not sustainable and cannot fly.

“A few states will end up borrowing to pay workers every month. We do not think this will be in the collective interest of the country, including workers.

“We appeal that all parties involved, especially the labour unions, consider all the socioeconomic variables and settle for an agreement that is sustainable, durable, and fair to all other segments of society who have legitimate claims to public resources.”

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu directed Wale Edun, minister of finance, to present a template on new minimum wage figures and an analysis of the associated costs within 48 hours.

The president’s directive followed the suspension of the nationwide indefinite strike embarked upon by organised labour over the failure of the government to fix the minimum wage for workers.

The suspension of the strike was to pave the way for further negotiations between leaders of labour unions and representatives of the government.

Labour had proposed N615,500 and then N494,000 as the new national minimum wage, which the government said was unrealistic.

At a meeting between leaders of the labour and representatives of the government, George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), said Tinubu is committed to a national minimum wage higher than N60,000.