We Are Preparing To Announce New Minimum Wage – FG

This revelation was made by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, during an event in Abuja focused on women’s empowerment. Akume, representing President Tinubu at the occasion, expressed optimism about forthcoming changes, particularly with the influx of more Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses into the country.

Akume remarked, “Ours is a complex federation, where the three tiers of government all have access to federation accounts, and so if we work together, we can do more for our people. Things will begin to change as more compressed natural gas (CNG) buses make their way to the country and as we prepare for a new minimum wage.”

This announcement follows the agreements reached between the Tinubu administration and organized labor in 2023, which led to the suspension of a nationwide strike. These agreements included provisions for CNG vehicles as replacements for petrol-powered vehicles, a cash transfer program, and an increase in the minimum wage.

In alignment with these efforts, the federal government had pledged in August 2023 to invest N100 billion between then and March 2024 to acquire 3,000 CNG-powered 20-seater buses. Additionally, in December, another N130 billion was budgeted for CNG conversion and electric vehicles.

Notably, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has been advocating for higher minimum wage proposals, including N794,000 for workers in the South-West zone and N540,000 for workers in the South-East.