Minimum Wage: We can only pay N22,500 – Governors

Governors of the 36 states of the federation have resolved to pay N22,500 as new minimum wage to workers.

The decision was reached after a 3- hour meeting of the governors under that auspices of Nigeria Governors’ Forum in Abuja late Tuesday evening.

But labour responded swiftly last night that the governors’ offer, N7,500 short of its demand for N30,000, was an exercise in futility, warning that the strike scheduled for Tuesday next week would proceed as planned.

The NGF Chairman and Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, who announced the decision of the governors said it was based on ability and capacity to pay, as well as in reflection to all other developmental needs in each state.

He also said that the governors’ decision was based on the principle that any acceptable minimum wage must be done in such a way that total personnel cost does not exceed 50 per cent of the revenue available to each state.

Yari said the governors were further guided by Section 3 of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission Act, which requires that any wage increase must take cognizance of the state of the national economy.