Chris Ngige, Labour minister

Ms. Ama Pepple, Nigeria’s former Head of Service, has been appointed to head the 30-member committee to review national minimum wage.

The Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee would be inaugurated next week

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of members of the committee to negotiate a new minimum wage for workers in the country.

Mr Samuel Olowookere, Deputy Director, Press, Ministry of Labour and Employment, said by its tripartite nature, the committee was made up of persons from the public and the private sectors.

“They include the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME). ‘’

He said other members of the committee are Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment (Deputy Chairman), Mr. Ayuba Wabba and Mr Bobboi Kaigama, among others would be representing the trade unions.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) will be represented by Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, and Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

“ The Committee will be inaugurated on Monday, Nov. 27 at the Council Chambers, Sate House, Abuja.’’

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been kicking against the present Nigeria’s national minimum wage of N18,000.

The unions are proposing N56,000 as a new minimum wage.

The N18,000 minimum wage was introduced seven years ago when by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who acted then for late President Umar Yar’Adua.

The minimum wage was an improvement on the N7,500 minimum wage that was obtainable.

Jonathan had then pleaded with the civil servants to shelve their planned five-day warning strike scheduled to commence tomorrow, and assured them that the issues in dispute would be resolved within the next three months.

He had directed then Minister of Labour, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, to ensure that negotiations with the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council achieved the desired results within the next three months.