NLC Sticks to December 1 Deadline for Minimum Wage Implementation

The National Labour Congress (NLC) has reaffirmed its December 1 deadline for all states to implement the newly approved minimum wage.

On July 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law, raising the country’s minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.

On November 11, the NLC set November 30 as the final date for all state governments to begin paying the new minimum wage to their workers, with a firm warning of an indefinite strike in states that fail to comply by the deadline.

While over 30 state governors have already adopted the new minimum wage, setting the lowest monthly salary for workers at ₦70,000 or higher, some states, including Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina, have yet to reach agreements on implementing the wage increase.

In response to questions about the deadline, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah emphasized that the directive still stands. He told news men on Saturday, “Nothing has changed regarding that directive,” adding that “majority is not everybody.” Upah warned that if all states do not comply, the union will carry out its planned actions.