FG to start minimum wage review January 23

The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), says it will start the process of reviewing the national minimum wage on January 23.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the minimum wage act that approved N30,000 for both federal and state workers in 2019.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Emmanuel Njoku, the spokesperson of NSIWC, said the commission had held a series of training and meetings in preparation for nationwide monitoring of the act.

“The exercise will enlighten the public and private employers and organisations on the economic benefits of adhering to the payment of the national minimum wage,” he said.

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

“The monitoring exercise will cover the 36 states of the federation including the federal capital territory.”

In October 2021, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), called on the federal government to look into reviewing the current minimum wage, citing increment in prices of goods and services.

Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, who spoke on Workers Decent Work Day said: “N30,000 cannot buy a bag of rice, and we know how the cost of goods or services has gone up. In fact, the worst is that when you retire, you have to struggle to get your benefits.”