The Secretary of the Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ahmed Mohd Naibi, has addressed recent claims regarding the implementation of the national minimum wage in the state. Responding to a statement made by Comr. Emmanuel Innocent Akwe, Naibi criticized the assertion that the minimum wage had been fully implemented, describing it as a misrepresentation of facts.
Naibi clarified that while the base minimum wage of ₦70,500 was adopted, the consequential adjustments, which form an integral part of the minimum wage agreement, remain unimplemented.
He emphasized that the ongoing strike by the NLC is a result of the state's failure to honor the complete agreement.
“The minimum wage goes hand in hand with its consequential adjustment. Adopting only one component is a violation of the collective bargaining process,” Naibi stated.
He also challenged Akwe to present evidence of any signed agreement indicating full implementation.
Naibi explained that the technical committee, comprising representatives from both the government and labor, developed the current template.
“It is not a labor-generated document; it was jointly produced to reflect practices in other North Central states, such as Benue and Plateau,” he added.
The NLC secretary called on the government to adhere to the principles of collective bargaining and fully implement the minimum wage alongside its consequential adjustments to resolve the impasse.
