After over 12 hours of deliberations, the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has revealed that the Tripartite Committee on the minimum wage is on the verge of reaching an agreement on a new national minimum wage.
Addressing the press following the extensive meeting on Friday, Governor Uzodimma expressed optimism about the progress made.
He stated, “We had a very fruitful deliberation… we have reached near consensus… I think we are better off than we were.”
The committee, composed of representatives from the government, labour unions, and employers, concluded unit meetings and proceeded to the plenary to harmonize decisions and potentially settle on a figure.
The meeting marks the fifth session since the suspension of the nationwide strike by organised labour.
Held behind closed doors at the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja, prominent members of the committee, including the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Minister of Labour and Employment (State), the Governor of Imo State, and representatives from relevant government bodies, were in attendance.
The development comes after organised labour rejected the initial N60,000 proposal, prompting the nationwide strike.
However, the action was suspended after the Federal Government pledged to increase the minimum wage beyond N60,000 as negotiations resumed.
In response to the proposed N60,000 minimum wage, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, comprising the 36 state governors, expressed concerns about its sustainability.
They emphasized that such a proposal would strain state finances, potentially exhausting monthly allocations from the federation account.
In a statement by the Acting Director, Media Affairs and Public Relations of the Forum, Mrs Halima Ahmed, the governors urged the tripartite committee to prioritize a minimum wage that is both equitable and feasible for long-term sustainability.