The Federal Government has warned private companies that do not pay their workers at least N70,000 could face jail time.
This announcement came as part of efforts to make sure workers in both government and private sectors receive fair pay.
At a meeting in Lagos, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, said it is now illegal for any employer to pay their workers less than N70,000.
“The private employment agencies should make it compulsory in any contract they take from their principal that their workers should not earn less than the minimum wage. The least paid worker in Nigeria should earn N70,000, and I think that should be after all deductions,” he said.
Abubakar was represented by John Nyamali, the Director of Employment and Wages. He urged private employment agencies to include the N70,000 minimum wage in all their contracts.
The President of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria (EAPEAN), Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo, also spoke at the event. He asked the government to clarify if the N70,000 wage is before or after deductions, saying there were still some unclear parts of the law.
Ogunlowo assured that the EAPEAN is ready to follow the law and help provide good jobs for Nigerians without exploiting workers.
The Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Lagos, Funmilayo Sessi, said private companies must ensure their workers receive the new minimum wage.
“The N70,000 isn’t enough in the current economic realities. By the time the consequential adjustment is concluded, all private employment agencies should immediately start paying their workers the N70,000 minimum wage,” she added.
