Minimum Wage: How we arrived at N200,000- NLC President

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, has explained how the union arrived at the figure of N200,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the country.

In a statement, Wabba said the figure was arrived at after a careful consideration of the current economic realities in the country.

He said the NLC took into account the following factors in arriving at the figure:
1.The current cost of living in Nigeria.
2. The need to ensure that workers can live a decent life.
3. The need to boost the economy.

Wabba said the NLC was confident that the new minimum wage would be affordable for employers and would not lead to job losses.

He called on the government to accept the NLC’s proposal and to implement it as soon as possible.

The NLC’s demand for a new minimum wage had been met with mixed reactions. Some people had argued that the figure is too high and could lead to job losses, while others had said that it is justified given the high cost of living in Nigeria.

However, the government had yet to respond to the NLC’s demand. However, it is expected that negotiations between the government and the union would begin soon.