The Federal Government has called on private employers of labour across the country to adhere to the ₦70,000 minimum wage, warning that any deviation is a “punishable crime.”
The warning was made by The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, while speaking at the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Daju, who was represented by the Director of Employment and Wages of the ministry, John Nyamali, said the new minimum wage is necessary to address the current economic reality, emphasising that no Nigerian worker, whether in government or private employment, should be paid less than the minimum wage.
“The minimum wage is now a law, and as a result, it is a punishable crime for any employer to pay less than ₦70,000 to any of its workers.
“The private employment agencies should make it compulsory in any contract they take from their principal that their workers should not earn less than the minimum wage. The least paid worker in Nigeria should earn ₦70,000, and I think that should be after all deductions.
“The minimum wage is a law, and you can be jailed if you fail to implement it. The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that the least paid worker goes home with ₦70,000,” he said
On her part, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State chapter, Funmilayo Sessi, underscored the impact of economic challenges on workers’ incomes, urging private employers to promptly implement the N70,000 minimum wage.
“The ₦70,000 isn’t sufficient in today’s economic realities. Once the consequential adjustment is finalized, all private employment agencies must begin paying their workers the ₦70,000 minimum wage,” Sessi insisted. “The NLC in Lagos State will ensure strict enforcement, and EAPEAN should avoid any conflict with the NLC regarding the minimum wage.”
