Organized labour in Nigeria has agreed on a new minimum wage of ₦615,000 for workers, according to the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also agreed on the same amount. Initially, the demand was for ₦447,000, but it was discarded after the harmonization with the NLC. However, TUC President Festus Osifo expressed doubt that the federal government would announce a new minimum wage on May 1 since negotiations are still ongoing with the Tripartite Committee on a new minimum wage. The TUC President further added that negotiations by the Tripartite Committee are still ongoing, and May 1 would not work for the pronouncement of the new minimum wage unless the Federal Government wants to pay the minimum wage of ₦466,000 to workers. Osifo said that the government might not agree to the ₦615,000 demanded by organized labour, but that is their own position, and negotiations would take off from that point. He expressed hope that the committee would meet after May 1. The federal government has set up a 37-member tripartite committee on minimum wage to discuss, negotiate and come up with a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
