The President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has named categories of workers who now enjoy the newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 monthly. The President, Godswill Akpabio, speaking on the new minimum wage, said all employees, including house helps, apprentices, and other domestic staff, are now assured of a minimum of N70,000 per month.
This was announced as the newly introduced bill for the new minimum wage was passed before the Senate on Tuesday, July 23, by President Bola Tinubu. Akpabio repeated that this pay raise affects all employers, including those in the small-scale and informal sectors like domestic workers and tailors.
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In his speech, Akpabio said:
“If you are a tailor and you employ some hands and you can’t pay them below N70,000. If you have housemaids, you cannot pay them below N70,000. If you are employing a driver or a gateman, you cannot pay below N70,000.”
This follows closely on the heels of an accord between President Tinubu and labour leaders on the consequential increase in the minimum wage, from N30,000 to N70,000. This was reached at after a prolonged negotiation among government, labour unions, and the organized private sector.
The report has it that the bill, which was forwarded to the National Assembly by President Tinubu on July 23, has been considered and passed by the Senate and House of Representatives. By this, the salary boost is indicative of government action as a result of economic measures, such as removing the subsidy on fuel.
He has also faced criticism on an unrelated issue for his handling of the Senate Proceedings. For instance, it has recently been reported that he interjected the Senate session debate being held by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and asked that the Senate go on recess. This follows another issue of his behavior concerning Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan.
