Thursday’s meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Labour leaders about the minimum wage ended without a deal; they will meet again next week to discuss further.
Beyond Boders reports that Labour leaders Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo arrived at the State House around 2:00 PM for the meeting. They are representing the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.
Recently, a committee suggested two different minimum wage figures to the President. The government and private sector proposed ₦62,000, while Labour demanded ₦250,000.
Since they could not agree, the President did not send any proposal to the National Assembly, as he intends consulting more with stakeholders first.
After the meeting, Ajaero told reporters that they did not negotiate, but discussed the current economic situation. “We will come back and we will continue the meeting,” he said.
Osifo added that they talked about the economy and how it affects Nigerians, including the devalued naira and rising prices. They hope for a fair solution.
Despite no agreement yet, Labour Minister, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said the meeting was positive and hopeful.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris also expects good results after next week’s talks.
A source close to the meeting said President Tinubu asked Labour to consider the ₦62,000 offer since it is double the current ₦30,000 wage.
Tinubu also suggested reviewing the minimum wage every two years instead of five.
The President emphasized his concern for workers’ welfare and called for realistic expectations. He said, “Between living wage and minimum wage, we need to find a balance.”
The Labour leaders highlighted the difficult conditions for workers and praised the President for supporting local government autonomy, which they believe will help Nigeria progress.
