PeakNews Online
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has confirmed that the newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 will apply to all workers across both public and private sectors, including domestic staff. This announcement was made during the plenary session on Tuesday.
The bill, which received swift approval from both chambers of the National Assembly, was transmitted by President Bola Tinubu. Akpabio emphasized the broad application of the new wage, stating, “If you are a tailor and you employ additional hands, you cannot pay them below N70,000. If you are a mother with a newborn child and you want to hire a housemaid to look after your child, you cannot pay the person below the approved minimum wage. It is not a maximum wage. It applies to all and sundry.”
He further clarified, “If you hire a driver or gateman, you cannot pay them below N70,000. So, I’m very delighted that this has been passed, and we now look forward to employers of labour improving on what has been set as a benchmark for all to follow.”
Akpabio congratulated the Nigeria Labour Congress, all Nigerians, and the National Assembly for what he described as “epoch-making legislation,” highlighting that the bill also reduces the negotiation period from five years to three years due to the increasing cost of living. “This is, again, a landmark legislation, so congratulations,” he added.
According to The PeakNews Online, the Senate passed the 2024 National Minimum Wage Amendment Act Bill shortly after President Bola Tinubu transmitted the new wage bill to both chambers of the National Assembly, seeking swift approval from lawmakers.
The new bill replaces the National Minimum Wage Act, No. 8, 2019, which had set a minimum wage of N30,000 with a five-year negotiation period. The updated legislation now mandates a review every three years.
Leading the debate on the bill, the Majority Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, noted that the N70,000 figure was agreed upon by all parties involved after negotiations. “This is part of the Federal Government’s short-term measure to mitigate the situation in the country,” Bamidele said.
