Governors of the 36 states in Nigeria, which met recently underscored that there would be no controversy on the payment of the N30,000 minimum wage. However, there is a caveat that payment would depend on each state’s ability to pay. Experts feel that the statement made by the forum of governors after the consultations did not give any clarity on the minimum wages except making a statement of intent to give a minimum wage of N30,000.
Chairman of the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum, who is also the governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi, said that even the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is aware of the level of preparedness of states to pay. It may be noted that payment of minimum wage of N30,000 is mandatory since it is an Act of Parliament.
In an equivocal statement issued after the meeting, the Governors have passed on the bucks to various states to decide on the implementation of the minimum wages telling that each state will have to come out with a decision on their own and presently the Governors’ forum is not aware of the stages of negotiation in the NLC. The group of Governors felt that there may be states that are in a position to pay N50,000. By fixing up a minimum wage of N30,000, they feel that the workers in states which have higher paying capacity suffer.
On the US$30bn loan plan initiated by the Federal Government, the chairman of the forum said that it was a federal government’s decision and that the forum of governors did not have the authority to address the controversy regarding the issue.
