- NLC President Joe Ajaero stated that the N70,000 minimum wage will be meaningful if the government implements all agreements made with the union
- The NLC agreed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that N70,000 was necessary to alleviate further hardship for Nigerians
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, stated that N70,000 will be meaningful if the government implements all agreements made with the union.
During an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Ajaero explained that the union and other stakeholders considered critical issues affecting Nigerians and the private sector before settling on this amount. He mentioned that the NLC agreed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that N70,000 was necessary to alleviate further hardship for Nigerians.
“At last week’s meeting, the president proposed giving us N250,000 if we allowed an increase in petroleum product prices. We said no,” Ajaero said. “We considered that within five years, we would need another negotiation, so we need to move high based on the current situation.”
He added that while other incentives were promised, they must be followed up. He highlighted the pressures faced by the organized private sector and SMEs and the importance of ease of doing business and energy costs.
“All these factors were considered. If all the agreed-upon measures are implemented, N70,000 will have value. There was a time when the minimum wage was N125, and it made sense,” Ajaero concluded.