The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, approved a national minimum wage of not less than N30,000 per month for Nigerian workers.
The passage followed the lawmakers’ unanimous adoption of a report of an ad hoc committee on National Minimum Wage Bill, 2019, which recommended N30,000 as against N27,000 proposed by the Federal Government.
According to the Chairman, ad hoc committee on National Minimum Wage Bill and Deputy Speaker of the House, Yusuf Lasun (APC, Osun), the bill aims to prescribe the national minimum wage and a legal framework for a seamless review.
Tagged “A Bill for an Act to repeal the National Minimum Wage Act 1981 and enact the National Minimum Wage Bill, 2019” the law makes it compulsory for employers in Nigeria to pay their workers no less than N30,000 per month.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who chaired consideration of the report in a Committee of the Whole, thanked the ad hoc committee and individual lawmakers, for their sacrifice in ensuring speedy passage of the bill, two weeks after its submission by the executive.
He said the bill will be forwarded to the Senate for concurrence and subsequent transmission to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
Earlier, House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos), had raised a point of order on the appropriate time for the commencement of the new minimum wage given that it was not captured in the 2019 Appropriation Bill.
But Chairman, Rules and Business, Edward Pwajork (PDP, Plateau) made it clear that the bill automatically becomes effective from the date President Muhamamdu Buhari assents to it.
When put to voice vote by Speaker Dogara, the amendment was carried, which means that the implementation of the new minimum wage takes effect from the date of Buhari’s assent.
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