Shettima inaugurates minimum wage committee

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated a 37-man Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage with a mandate to recommend a new National Minimum Wage for the Country.

The inauguration of the committee, led by a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, took place at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, State House, Abuja.

While speaking, the Vice President said the event reaffirmed the promise of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to improve the welfare of Nigerian workers.

He urged the committee to fulfill the conditions of genuine dialogue and engage in collective bargaining in good faith.

Senator Shettima, who reminded them of the significance of the submission of their report, said President Tinubu had directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to support the committee with the needed logistics to facilitate timely completion of the exercise.

He said the decisions would be presented as an Executive Bill which would be sent to the National Assembly.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, expressed optimism that they would do justice to the task considering the array of personalities assembled.

Aji said: “We shall make some extensive consultations with broad spectrum of stakeholders to be able to come out with a minimum wage that is fair, acceptable and implementable.”

Earlier, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, urged chairman and members of the committee to approach the task with the spirit of commitment, collaboration, flexibility and patriotism.

“Please eschew individual interests and focus on the common good for our dear nation. The past year in the life of our nation has been marked by significant economic challenges. The removal of fuel subsidy, while a necessary step towards long-term fiscal sustainability, has undoubtedly imposed temporary hardships on many In recognition of these challenges, the government made a commitment to cushion the effects on workers through a wage award, being implemented currently. Today, we take another crucial step in fulfilling that promise by embarking on a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.

“The Minimum Wage Act of 2019 empowers this Tripartite Committee, composed of representatives of government, organized labour, and employers, to engage in open and constructive dialogue to arrive at a fair and sustainable minimum wage. This process is not merely about numbers, it is about recognizing the dignity of work and ensuring that all Nigerians have the opportunity to earn a living wage that allows them to meet their basic needs and participate meaningfully in our society. In return, the workforce, whether public or private must of necessity, ramp up productivity, in order to sustain whatever would be the outcome of future engagements.

“Your Excellency, the Vice President, your presence to preside over this inauguration underscores the government’s full commitment to this process. In due course, the leadership of Mr. President and your good self would be invaluable in guiding the Committee and other stakeholders towards a successful outcome.”