Pay N70,000 minimum wage or face jail time, minister warns private sector

The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to private sector recruiters, mandating them to comply with the N70,000 minimum wage, stressing that non-compliance will not be tolerated.

Speaking at the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria in Ikeja, Lagos, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, stressed the importance of the new wage.

Represented by the Director of Employment and Wages, John Nyamali, Daju noted that the N70,000 minimum wage is now law.

“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.

“The private employment agencies should make it compulsory in any contract they take from their principal that their workers should not earn less than the minimum wage. The least paid worker in Nigeria should earn N70,000, and I think that should be after all deductions.

“The minimum wage is a law, and you can be jailed if you fail to implement it. The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that the least paid worker goes home with N70,000.”

She urged private employment agencies to ensure that workers are not paid below the set amount, adding, “The least paid worker in Nigeria should earn N70,000, and I think that should be after all deductions.”

The President of the Employers Association, Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo, called on the government to clarify whether the N70,000 is net or gross.

“Our principals and clients have also keyed into the minimum wage. However, the government must clarify whether the N70,000 minimum wage is net or gross,” he said.

Funmilayo Sessi, Chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the NLC, urged private employers to implement the wage, warning, “The NLC in Lagos State will see to the strict enforcement of the minimum wage.”