The acting Minister of Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkiruika Onyejeocha, has revealed that the report submitted by the Tripartite Committee on the new minimum wage reflects a “balanced and realistic approach” to addressing the challenges faced by Nigeria’s workforce.
Speaking at a retreat organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Hon. Onyejeocha emphasized that the committee’s submissions are not just recommendations, but a “blueprint for actionable reforms” aimed at driving sustainable improvements in labor conditions across the country.
“The Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is unwavering in its dedication to ensuring that all workers are treated with dignity, work in safe environments, and earn a living wage,” the minister said.
Central to the government’s efforts is the work of the Tripartite Committee, which has “diligently engaged with stakeholders on the critical issue of a New National Minimum Wage.” The minister revealed that the committee’s comprehensive submissions to the President reflect a balanced and realistic approach to addressing the challenges faced by the workforce.
One of the key initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is the Labour and Employment Empowerment Program (LEEP), which aims to ensure that employers adhere to the highest standards of occupational health and safety. The minister emphasized the plan to “rigorously enforce safety standards and ensure that employers provide safe and healthy working conditions” in factories and industrial parks.
Acknowledging the role of legislative intervention, Hon. Onyejeocha urged the lawmakers to “sponsor and pass bills that reflect the yearnings of our labor force across all sectors” and to create laws and policies that “foster productivity and growth amongst our workforce, but also commensurably punish offenders and violators of labor laws.”
The NILDS Director General, Professor Olanrewaju Sulaiman, noted that the industrial relations atmosphere in Nigeria has been characterized by industrial disputes, which have had a “serious impact on worker productivity and national development.” He emphasized the need for a review of the national minimum wage to ensure that workers’ conditions are improved following present-day realities.
The retreat, organized by NILDS, is aimed at equipping members of the Committees and other stakeholders to contribute to the robust legislative intervention in the labor reform process.
