Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced that the newly approved minimum wage will apply universally to all workers across both public and private sectors, including domestic staff such as maids.
This announcement was made during the plenary session on Tuesday.
The bill, which was swiftly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly following its transmission by President Bola Tinubu, mandates a minimum wage of N70,000 for all workers.
During the plenary, Akpabio emphasized, “If you are a tailor and you employ additional hands, you cannot pay them below N70,000. If you are a mother with a newborn child and you want to hire a housemaid to look after your child, you cannot pay the person below the approved minimum wage. It is not a maximum wage. It applies to all and sundry.
“If you hire a driver or gateman, you cannot pay them below N70,000. So, I’m very delighted that this has been passed, and we now look forward to employers of labour improving on what has been set as a benchmark for all to follow.
“I congratulate the Nigeria Labour Congress, all Nigerians, and the National Assembly for this epoch-making legislation, which has even reduced the term of negotiations from five years to three years in view of the increasing cost of living. This is, again, a landmark legislation, so congratulations.”
The session was then adjourned until 17 September.
The Senate passed the 2024 National Minimum Wage Amendment Act Bill after President Bola Tinubu transmitted the new wage bill to both chambers of the National Assembly, seeking prompt support for its passage.
The new bill replaces the National Minimum Wage Act, No. 8, 2019, which had set a N30,000 minimum wage with a five-year review period. The new legislation shortens the wage review period to three years, reflecting the current economic realities.
