The announcement was made during the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Private-sector employers across Nigeria have been warned of potential imprisonment if they fail to comply with the newly established N70,000 minimum wage.
The announcement was made during the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, John Nyamali, Director of Employment and Wages, declared, “The minimum wage is now a law, and as a result, it is a punishable crime for any employer to pay less than N70,000 to any of its workers.”
He emphasized that no worker, public or private, should earn less than the stipulated wage.
“The least paid worker in Nigeria should earn N70,000, and I think that should be after all deductions.”
Nyamali also stressed the consequences of non-compliance. “The minimum wage is a law, and you can be jailed if you fail to implement it.”
In response, Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo, President of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, asked for clarification on whether the N70,000 wage applies net or gross, adding, “We are already committed to the minimum wage and providing decent jobs for Nigerians while preventing the exploitation of human resources.”
Funmilayo Sessi, Chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), urged prompt implementation of the wage.
“The N70,000 isn’t sufficient in today’s economic realities. Once the consequential adjustment is finalized, all private employment agencies must begin paying their workers the N70,000 minimum wage.”