2023: Labour Party Promises Upward Review of Minimum Wage from N30,000  to N100,000

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The Labour Party has promised to make an upward review and implement current minimum wage which currently stand at N30,000 to N80,000 or N100,000 if the party is elected into power next year.

The promise came just few days after its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, released his manifesto proposing a different wage system as against the current monthly wage system in the country.

Deputy National Chairman of the party, Ayo Olurunfemi, stated this yesterday on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily monitored by THISDAY.

Ayo said the implementation will “depends on the nature of the job that would be given out”, by employers.

He said: “For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labourer out there, he does not take less than N2,500-N3,000 per day which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned. If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour,” he said on the show.

“So, when you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day. And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month.”

Ayo who was asked to put more light on his comment, he said that the party was considering “N80,000-N100,000” as a new monthly minimum wage, noting that “that is exactly where we are going!”

He said the present N30,000 minimum wage does not reflect the realities, explaining that the party would explore new ways to ensure the new wage structure is implemented if it’s elected next year.

“As a matter of fact, you know the amount of oil in the name of oil theft that has been leaving this country.

“We know where these things are coming from. They say there is no money but we know these monies have been stashed in the rooms or toilets of a few persons”, he added.