President Bola Tinubu has officially signed the Minimum Wage Bill into law, concluding months of intense discussions between government officials, labor unions, and private sector representatives.
A notable delegation from the National Assembly, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and several House of Representatives members, were present to witness this significant occasion.
This landmark event took place at the State House in Abuja on Monday, mere days after the National Assembly passed the Minimum Wage Act of 2019, which raises the National Minimum Wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
In the wake of the signing, Basheer Lado, Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, emphasized the significance of this development. “The signing of the minimum wage bill into law by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is both a promise kept and a demonstration of his people-centric governance model,” Lado stated. “Tinubu promised to pay a living wage to Nigerian workers during his election campaigns, and he has kept that promise.”
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio commended President Tinubu for
increasing the minimum wage.
“We are not only doubling the minimum wage, we have added something on top. Initially, it was N30,000, now it is N70,000,”
“I’m ecstatic. I’m excited about the Nigerian worker, and the national minimum wage amendment is for the whole nation, for the federal government, the states, the local governments, the private sector, and even for individual employers.
“Like I said, this is minimum, this is not maximum. Any employer that has a capacity can pay as much as you want. But no Nigerian worker will offer services and be paid anything less than 70,000 from today.
“That is the implication of this act. It applies all over the nation. And we are excited that this is happening at a time like this through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a man who cares for the Nigerian workers. And you’ve seen what we are doing in the National Assembly,” he said.
The bill’s signing was also witnessed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.
The ₦70,000 minimum wage will be reviewed every three years to ensure it remains fair and sustainable. Following the agreement, President Tinubu swiftly transmitted the bill to the National Assembly, which promptly passed it within a day.
