Governors under the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) have rejected the proposed ₦60,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
In a statement issued on Friday by the NGF’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Halimah Salihu Ahmed, the governors declared the proposed wage unsustainable.
The NGF raised concerns that adopting the ₦60,000 minimum wage would force many states to allocate their entire Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds to salaries, leaving no resources for development projects.
The statement read in part: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum acknowledges the need for a new minimum wage and sympathizes with labor unions’ demands for higher wages. However, the Forum urges all parties to consider the broad implications of wage negotiations, including consequential adjustments for all cadres, including pensioners. The NGF cautions that any agreement must be sustainable and realistic. The ₦60,000 minimum wage proposal is unsustainable; many states would spend their FAAC allocations entirely on salaries, with some states possibly borrowing to pay workers. This is not in the collective interest of the country, including the workers.”
The NGF urged all parties involved in the negotiation process, especially labor unions, to consider all socioeconomic factors and reach a sustainable agreement.
“We appeal that all parties, especially labor unions, consider all socioeconomic variables and settle for an agreement that is sustainable, durable, and fair to all segments of society who have legitimate claims to public resources,” the statement concluded.
Organized labor groups, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress, had previously vowed to reject any increase less than the ₦60,000 proposed by the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage. TUC President Festus Osifo reiterated this stance during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program.
Labor groups suspended their industrial action, which began on Monday, after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government. The government assured that President Bola Tinubu is committed to a minimum wage higher than the ₦60,000 previously offered.
Less than 24 hours after Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, presented the cost implications of a new minimum wage to President Tinubu, the governors agreed that a new minimum wage is necessary.
