President Bola Tinubu has granted approval for the inauguration and funding of the 37-man Tripartite Committee on the New National Minimum Wage, allocating N500 million for the purpose.
This decision followed the submission of a budget request by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, initially seeking N1 billion for the committee’s activities.
In a letter titled ‘Request For Approval Of Funds And Inauguration Of The Tripartite Committee On National Minimum Wage,’ Akume proposed the release of N1 billion for the committee’s work, scaled down from an initial request of N1.8 billion.
The inauguration date was set for January 26, 2024, with the new minimum wage expected to be finalized by April 1, 2024.
A handwritten response from President Tinubu instructed the committee to commence operations with a reduced budget of N500 million, stating, “Start with N500 million first.”
Critics, including former federal lawmaker Shehu Sani, pointed out the irony of the Minimum Wage Committee allocating the maximum wage for themselves.
Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the 37-man Tripartite Committee on January 30, 2024, at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Reacting to the development, Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), expressed concern about the composition of the committee, stating that many governors on the committee were not complying with the current N30,000 minimum wage in their states.
Ajaero emphasized the need for representation from governors who adhere to the minimum wage law to ensure fairness in the committee’s decisions.
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