Federal government has said that private employers who pay their workers less than the new minimum wage of N70,000 risk facing jail time.
Ravenewsonline reports that the warning was announced by Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, permanent secretary, federal ministry of labour and employment, at the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria.
According to Abubakar, the minimum wage is now a law, and paying less than N70,000 is a punishable crime. Employers are expected to make it compulsory in any contract that their workers earn at least the minimum wage, after all deductions.
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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also weighed in on the issue, with Funmilayo Sessi, chairperson of the Lagos State Council, calling on private employers to pay the N70,000 minimum wage. She noted that the current economic realities make it difficult for workers to survive on lower wages.
It’s worth noting that there is some ambiguity surrounding whether the N70,000 minimum wage is net or gross, with Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo, president, Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, calling for clarification on this issue.
