President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present the cost implications of the new minimum wage within two days.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents after a meeting the negotiation team earlier had with President Tinubu at Aso Rock.
Idris said the President directed Edun to compute the numbers and present the new minimum wage figures within two days.
He added that the presentation would form the basis of negotiation.
The Minister added, “All parties to the negotiation of the new minimum wage would work together with the organised labour to present a new minimum wage for Nigerians in one week.
“All of us will work together assiduously within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable sustainable and also realistic.”
Idris further said that President Tinubu gave a marching order that all those who have negotiated on behalf of the Federal government and all those who are representatives of organised private sectors, the sub nationals to come together to have a new wage award that is affordable, sustainable and realistic for Nigerians.
The minister expressed President Tinubu’s commitment to accepting the resolutions of the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage.
He stated that the Federal Government is not opposed to an increase in the minimum wage but striving to ensure that its promises are fulfilled.
Idris further said, “We were all there to look at all issues, and the president has directed the minister of finance to do the numbers and get back to him between today and tomorrow so that we can have figures ready for negotiation with labour.
“Let me say that the president is determined to go with what the committee has said, and he’s also looking at the welfare of Nigerians.
“The government is not an opponent of labour discussions or wage increases.”
The minister said the president directed that the committee should work together to give Nigerians an “affordable, sustainable, and realistic” minimum wage.
“All of us will work together assiduously within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable, sustainable, and also realistic,” he said.
According to the Minister, the meeting was attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mele Kyari.
