Minimum wage: We’ll pay what Nigeria can afford, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu says the federal government will pay a minimum wage it can afford.

Tinubu spoke on Wednesday night at the State House during a meeting with some governors and members of the national assembly on the occasion of the nation’s 25th Democracy Day anniversary.

While addressing the nation earlier on Wednesday, Tinubu said the federal government has negotiated with organised labour “in good faith and with open arms” on a new national minimum wage.

The president also said an executive bill on the minimum wage would be sent to the national assembly “to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less”.

The federal government had proposed N62,000 as the new minimum wage, while the organised labour demanded N250,000.

Responding to the president’s speech, the organised labour said it has not reached an agreement with the federal government on the minimum wage.

Speaking at the State House, Tinubu said the federal government will pay workers what it can afford.

“Senate president, deputy senate president, you will get a notice from me if I have changed my mind on minimum wage. We are going to do it — what Nigeria can afford, what you can afford, what I can afford. They ask you to cut your coat according to your size, if you have size at all,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu also applauded the governors, saying they are doing their best to improve the welfare of the people.

“My sincere gratitude to all of you standing by me. I promise you, I won’t fail. Nigeria is a great country. We include in our national anthem the essence of service. I have seen many governors both live and on TV serving their people and many of them are here tonight,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu specifically mentioned the following governors — Umo Eno of Akwa, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Sheriff Oborevwor of Delta, Alex Otti of Abia, and Ahmed Ododo of Kogi.

“If I miss you, forgive me,” the president told other governors present.

“Everybody has forgotten the partisanship colour and embraces the green, white, green that depicts Nigeria. That is the value that we hold dear to ourselves. That is the baton, that is the reason that we say we hand over a banner without stain to our children and grandchildren.

“Nigeria is greater than any one of us. That is why the unity of this country cannot be traded.”

The president further spoke about the insecurity in the nation, saying it has affected food production.

Tinubu stressed that the nation’s value system must be preached to youths to imbibe a responsible way of life, shun violence and crime.

The president commended some customs officers who recently rejected bribes from suspected vandals of railway tracks.

“Distinguished leaders, we have a lot of work that we must do about our county, about our citizens. Citizenship is not just the dictionary meaning of it, it is the actual character in us to teach these to achieve it,” Tinubu said.