House of Reps approves N30,000 minimum wage

House of Representatives on Tuesday approved N30, 000 as the minimum wage for workers.

The approval followed the adoption of the report by the ad hoc committee set up on the New Minimum Wage Bill sent to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

The committee led by the deputy speaker Yusuf Lasun had conducted a public hearing on the subject on Monday before the lawmakers.

Giving a synopsis of the report, Lasun said it was necessary to approve the minimum wage after discovering that the federal government agreed to pay its own workers N30000.

The lawmaker representing Irepodun/Olurunda/Osogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency of Osun State noted that the tax aspect of the new wage needed to be examined as certain wage brackets that would cause an increment in tax rates.

“So tax authorities should see if succour could be provided for certain levels of workers,” he added.

Nigeria’s current minimum wage is N18,000 and approved in 2008 by late president Umar Musa Ya’aruda’s administration.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogar said the welfare of the Nigerian worker should be guaranteed.

“Today we passed the new national minimum wage Bill 2019 in keeping with our commitment to improving the welfare of the Nigerian workers. The Bill was given speedy and accelerated passage in just two legislative days as a House of the Nigerian people,” Dogara said.

“This is the House of the people and this is the way businesses should be and we have effectively passed it subject to the passage of the Senate unless there are issues which may require a conference Committee.”