FG set to announce new minimum wage – Shoretire

The Federal Government is working towards announcing a new national minimum wage to help reduce the economic hardship faced by Nigerian workers.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Kamil Shoretire, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

He spoke at a capacity building workshop organised for labour correspondents.

Shoretire said discussions were already ongoing between the government and other stakeholders on the new wage.
He said the government had not fixed a date for formal negotiations but was working towards reaching an agreement.

“We are yet to announce the timetable for that, but background discussions are already ongoing,” he said.

He added that the details of the proposed negotiations would be made public when the process reaches the appropriate stage.

“When it’s time to get the press involved in what has been proposed and what is being negotiated, it will be revealed to you,” he added.

The permanent secretary also said the government was engaging workers in sectors where disputes over salaries and allowances were still unresolved.

The development comes amid pressure from organised labour for a review of the current N70,000 national minimum wage approved by the Federal Government in 2024.

Labour groups have called for the minimum wage to be increased to N500,000, alongside an immediate wage award for workers.

They have also demanded a reduction in the price of petrol to N500 per litre.