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FG proposes N54,000 as new minimum wage

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I didn’t come to look for money, I came to work — Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu
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After the walkout by the Organised Labour comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress during the last meeting with the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage following the proposed N48,000 as minimum wage by the Federal Government,  the government has now upped it to N54,000.

A highly reliable source within the meeting, which is currently ongoing, disclosed this to our correspondent in Abuja.

“The Federal Government has now proposed the sum of N54,000,” the reliable source said.

Though it is not clear whether Labour would accept this offer, the new proposal by the Federal Government is a far cry from the N615,000 proposed by the organized Labour.

The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, insisted on N615,000 minimum wage, arguing that the amount was arrived at after an analysis of the current economic situation and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.

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He blamed the government and the OPS for the breakdown in negotiation, saying, “Despite earnest efforts to reach an equitable agreement, the less than reasonable action of the Government and the Organised Private Sector has led to a breakdown in negotiations.”

But speaking on behalf of the OPS, the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, described unions’ walkout when negotiation had not started as unfortunate.

The NECA DG admonished the union leaders to reconsider their position and return to the negotiation table in the interest of their members and national development.

However, Ajaero justified their decision to abandon the negotiation, saying, “The government’s proposal of a paltry N48,000 as the minimum wage does not only insult the sensibilities of Nigerian workers but also falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations.

“Though it is worth noting that even the least paid workers in the private sector receive N78,000 as clearly stated by the OPS, highlighting the stark disparity between the proposed minimum wage and prevailing standards further demonstrating the unwillingness of employers and Government to faithfully negotiate a fair national minimum wage for workers in Nigeria.’’

He accused the government of failing to provide data to support its offer, noting that this undermined the credibility of the negotiation.

“Furthermore, the government’s failure to provide any substantiated data to support their offer exacerbates the situation. This lack of transparency and good faith undermines the credibility of the negotiation process and erodes trust between the parties involved.

The NLC president noted that the unions remained committed to fighting for the rights and interests of Nigerian workers.

He also called on the government to reconsider its position and come to the negotiation table with “clear hands that reflect the true value of the contributions made by Nigerian workers to the nation’s development and the objective socioeconomic realities that confront not just Nigerian workers but Nigerians today as a result of the policies of the Federal Government.”

President Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, on January 30, 2024, inaugurated the 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage to come up with a new minimum wage ahead of the expiration of the current N30,000 wage on April 18.

The panel, whose membership includes federal and state governments, the private sector, and organised labour, will recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.

During the panel’s inauguration, Shettima urged the members to “speedily” reach a resolution and submit their reports early.

“This timely submission is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage,” Shettima said.

In furtherance of its assignment, a zonal public hearing was held simultaneously on March 7 in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja.

The NLC and the TUC in different states proposed various figures as a living wage, referencing the current economic crunch and the high costs of living.

In their different proposals on the minimum wage, the NLC members in the South-West states demanded N794,000 as the TUC suggested N447,000.

At the North-Central zonal hearing in Abuja, the workers demanded N709,000 as the new national minimum wage, while their counterparts in the South-South clamoured for N850,000.

In the North-West, N485,000 was proposed, while the South-East stakeholders demanded N540,000 minimum wage.

But organised labour settled for N615,000 as a living wages . (The PUNCH)

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Gov Mbah approves new appointments to key Enugu institutions

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President Bola Tinubu
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Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved the appointment of new members and principal officers to key state institutions as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to reform institutions, strengthen governance and enhance effective service delivery.

Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this in a statement made available to Newsmen on Friday, September 4,2026 in Enugu.

The appointments are as follows:

CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

Prof. Gabriel Ajah — Chairman
Christian Mbah — Member One
Mrs. Stella Ekweremadu — Member Two
Mrs. Theresa Onyefuzili Ifeanyichukwu — Member Three
Uzonna Emmanuel Ogarabe — Member Four
Ambrose Nwodo — Secretary

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ENUGU STATE TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET)

Dr. Amaka S. Ngene — Chairman
Bonaventure Onu — Member
Barr. Nnadi Eluke — Member
Kingsley Agwu — Member
Mrs. Joy Odike — Secretary

ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ESUT) GOVERNING COUNCIL

Barr. Victor Chukwuani — Chairman
Engr. James Ifeanyichukwu Ajibo — Member
Dr. Eric Oluedo — Member
Dr. Mrs. Gladys Ngozi Okoro — Member
Chukwu Chikaodiri Joy — Member

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY (IMT) GOVERNING COUNCIL

Hon. Chinedu Onu — Chairman
Dr. Barth Nwankwo — Member
Barr. Emeka Ede — Member
Mrs. Rita Chimaobi — Member
Prince Tony Nwonye — Member

ENUGU STATE POLYTECHNIC, IWOLLO GOVERNING COUNCIL

Rev. Fr. Prof. Anthony Aniagboso Igwe — Rector
Deaconess Ifeoma Nwobodo — Chairman, Governing Council
Obinna Aleke — Member
Barr. Henry Okeke — Member
Emeka Abba — Member

ENUGU STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) (ESCET) GOVERNING COUNCIL

Barr. Nwabueze Ugwu — Chairman
Prince Cletus Ajaegbu — Member
Dr. Chiesonu Isiga Eruchalu — Member
Dr. Chukwuemeka Nwatu — Member
Theophilus Onyebeke — Member
The appointments take effect immediately.

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Boko Haram attacks APC governorship candidate’s convoy in Borno

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Mustapha Gubio
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Suspected members of Boko Haram terrorists have attacked the convoy of Mustapha Gubio, the governorship flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State.

Sources said the incident took place along the Gubio-Karote-Damasak highway in the northern part of the state on Thursday.

Damasak is located in northern Borno and is about 190km from Maiduguri, the state capital.

The convoy was en route to Mobbar, headquarters of Damasak Local Government Area, to pay a thank-you visit to members of the APC for their support which led to his emergence as the consensus candidate in the party’s last primary elections.

Sources said: “The convoy came under heavy attack around Kareto community at about 2:30pm, but was swiftly repelled by a combined team of security escorts, including soldiers, police, NSCDC, DSS, CTJF and vigilante groups.”

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According to an insider who escaped but did not want his name mentioned, “The incident happened during a thank-you tour by Mustapha Gubio and his team to the northern part of the state.

“It was a terrifying moment for us; we came under heavy attacks by terrorists yesterday.”

He continued, “The terrorists fired several Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) on our convoy, which also followed by sporadic shooting. Luckily, our security agencies repelled the attacks.

“Police armoured vehicles were damaged, but there was no casualty,” said the source.

Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, confirmed the attack, saying: “Police tactical operatives successfully counter-engaged suspected terrorists who attacked a convoy along the Kareto–Damasak Road with an IED and rocket-propelled grenades.

“The tactical team forced the terrorists to retreat into the surrounding bush and subsequently scanned and cleared the immediate axis to neutralise secondary explosive threats.

“The convoy, conveying a gubernatorial aspirant, government officials and political stakeholders, was safely evacuated to a secure location with no casualties recorded among members of the entourage.”

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Harsh economic policies pushing young Nigerians to sell their kidneys to survive — Atiku

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Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has blamed the desperation of young Nigerians to sell their kidneys on President Bola Tinubu’s harsh economic policies.

It could be recalled that the police last week raided a hospital in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, after it was reported that at least 10 young men were victims of organ harvesting.

Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has now accused President Bola Tinubu of making life more expensive for Nigerians, saying he would make the country affordable again if given the opportunity.

In a post on his X handle on Friday, Atiku expressed concern over reports of young Nigerians allegedly selling their kidneys and other body organs in desperate attempts to survive the country’s worsening economic hardship.

He said young Nigerians should be pursuing their dreams, building careers and developing innovative ideas rather than considering the sale of their body organs as a means of survival.

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“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are being driven simply to survive.

“Perhaps the most horrifying are the growing reports of young people selling parts of their bodies: kidneys in particular, in desperate attempts to raise money.

“Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs,” Atiku wrote.

He added that the rising cost of food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity had worsened the living conditions of many Nigerians.

According to him, reports that some young Nigerians were being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as N1.7 million reflected the level of desperation caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

Atiku said Nigeria’s laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and organ trafficking were insufficient to address the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people targets of criminal networks.

He stressed that economic reforms should improve the living conditions of citizens by making basic necessities more affordable.

“Economic reform must have a human face. It must mean affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible healthcare, decent jobs and renewed hope for the next generation.

“Our young people should be selling their ideas, talents and innovation to the world and not their kidneys for N1.7 million just to survive at home,” he said.

Atiku described the situation as the human cost of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis, accusing the Tinubu administration of worsening the economic burden on Nigerians.

He further stated that “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”

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