Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced that the newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 applies to all workers in both public and private sectors, including domestic staff such as maids.
Akpabio made this statement during the plenary session on Tuesday.
The bill was rapidly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly shortly after being transmitted by President Bola Tinubu.
During the plenary, Akpabio emphasized that employers, whether they are tailors employing additional hands or mothers hiring housemaids, cannot pay their workers less than N70,000. He highlighted that this wage is not a maximum but a minimum that applies universally.
He added that employers hiring drivers or gatemen must also adhere to the N70,000 minimum wage. Akpabio expressed his satisfaction with the passage of the bill and urged employers to use this new benchmark to improve wages.
Akpabio congratulated the Nigeria Labour Congress, all Nigerians, and the National Assembly on the passage of this significant legislation, noting that it has also reduced the negotiation term from five years to three due to the rising cost of living.
Worldview news reports that the Senate passed the 2024 National Minimum Wage Amendment Act Bill following President Bola Tinubu’s transmission of the bill to the National Assembly, seeking swift support for its passage.
The new bill replaces the 2019 National Minimum Wage Act, which set a N30,000 minimum wage with a five-year negotiation period. The latest legislation reduces this review period to three years.
Leading the debate on the bill, Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele noted that the N70,000 minimum wage was agreed upon after negotiations among all parties involved.
Bamidele stated that this measure is part of the Federal Government’s short-term efforts to alleviate the economic situation in the country
