News
Tripartite committee makes Minimum Wage recommendation to President Tinubu
The acting Minister of Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkiruika Onyejeocha has disclosed that the report of the Tripartite Committee on the new minimum wage submitted to President Bola Tinubu depicts a “balanced and realistic approach to addressing the myriad challenges faced by our workforce.”
She stated that, “These submissions are not just recommendations; they are a blueprint for actionable reforms that will drive sustainable improvements in labour conditions across the country.”
Hon. Onyejeocha disclosed this on Monday during a one-day retreat on ‘Labour reforms and the quest for living wage in Nigeria: A Focus on Legislative intervention’, organised by National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), for Chairmen and Members of joint Senate and House Committees on Employment, Labour and Productivity.
She emphasised the present administration’s resolve towards transforming the labour landscape in Nigeria, ensuring that every worker is respected, protected, and fairly compensated.
Hon. Onyejeocha said: “The Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is unwavering in its dedication to ensuring that all workers are treated with dignity, work in safe environments, and earn a living wage. Our vision is clear: to create a labour market that is fair, equitable, and capable of sustaining the aspirations of every Nigerian worker.
“Central to our efforts is the work of the Tripartite Committee comprising of Government, Organized Private Sector and Organized Labour, which has diligently engaged with stakeholders on the critical issue of a New National Minimum Wage.
“The Committee’s comprehensive submissions to Mr. President reflect a balanced and realistic approach to addressing the myriad challenges faced by our workforce. These submissions are not just recommendations; they are a blueprint for actionable reforms that will drive sustainable improvements in labour conditions across the country.
“One of the key initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is the Labour and Employment Empowerment Program (LEEP). LEEP embodies our holistic approach to labour reform, with a specific pillar dedicated to labour reforms and labour compliance enhancement.
“This initiative aims to ensure that employers adhere strictly to the highest standards of occupational health and safety. By fostering a culture of compliance, we are not only protecting workers but also promoting a business environment that is conducive to productivity and growth.
“As we embark on these reforms, we are particularly focused on factories and industrial parks. These areas are critical to our industrial strategy and the well-being of thousands of workers. Our plan is to rigorously enforce safety standards and ensure that employers provide safe and healthy working conditions. This is not just about compliance; it is about creating workplaces where workers can thrive without fear of injury or exploitation.”
While acknowledging the role of legislative intervention, Hon. Onyejeocha underscored the need for the standing Committees saddled with the responsibility of legislative oversight and indeed the Parliament, to enact “laws that protect and empower workers are vital to the success of our reform agenda. Together, and as your colleague, we can do more and indeed, build a legal framework that supports our vision for a just and equitable labour market.
“Let us come together to sponsor and pass bills that reflects the yearnings of our labour force across all sectors. Let us indeed create laws and policies that not only foster productivity and growth amongst our workforce, but also commensurably punish offenders and violators of labour laws. This is the only pathway to true reform!
“In closing, I would like to reaffirm the Government’s unwavering commitment to labour reforms and the living wage. We are on a path to transforming the labour landscape in Nigeria, ensuring that every worker is respected, protected, and fairly compensated. This is our promise to the Nigerian people, and with your continued support, we will achieve it.”
Meanwhile, the NILDS Director General, Professor Olanrewaju Sulaiman who observed that the industrial relations atmosphere in Nigeria has been characterized by industrial disputes such as strikes, lockouts, and work stoppages, lamented that the situation “has a serious impact on worker productivity and national development, as no nation can develop in an atmosphere of crisis and work stoppages.
“This situation is further compounded by the recent harsh economic conditions of workers, which have been affected by many factors including inflation and high costs of living that have eroded workers’ welfare and weakened living standards. This situation calls for a review of the national minimum wage to ensure that workers’ conditions are improved following present-day realities.
“In the quest for a realistic national minimum wage, the Federal Government of Nigeria has constituted a tripartite national minimum wage negotiation committee, which is expected to come up with a realistic minimum wage rate that will improve the living conditions of Nigerian workers and motivate them for higher productivity.
“Indeed, any agreement reached by the tripartite negotiation committee must be submitted to the legislature for enactment. It is therefore imperative for the legislature to understand the processes of the minimum wage and its implications for worker welfare, economic growth, and the national development of the nation.
“The legislature must also have a holistic view of the environment under which labour administration is carried out in the country.
“It is in recognition of this fact that NILDS has organized this one-day national retreat. The retreat is most relevant as part of the NILDS contribution to the ongoing quest for a sustainable living wage that is capable of supporting the renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in Nigeria.
“In addition, this retreat is also relevant because the issue of the national minimum wage is on the exclusive list that can only be legislated upon by the National Assembly. The platform offered by this seminar will therefore equip members of the Committees and other stakeholders here present to share experiences that will culminate into a robust legislative intervention in the labour reform process.”
The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will observe a temporary closure on Thursday, January 9, 2025, in honor of the late Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States, who passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100.
This announcement was made on Wednesday through a statement from the U.S. Mission to Nigeria on its official X account.
Carter, the 39th President of the United States, served from 1977 to 1981 and is widely celebrated for his commitment to peace negotiations, promotion of democratic values, and advocacy for human rights. Additionally, he authored numerous books during his lifetime.
The statement praised Carter’s remarkable contributions to U.S.-Nigeria relations, stating, “We remember former President Jimmy Carter, a tireless advocate for peace, democracy, and human rights. As the first U.S. President to visit Nigeria, he helped strengthen U.S.-Nigeria relations and supported Nigeria’s democratic process. His legacy continues to inspire us.”
The closure of the diplomatic missions serves as a reflection of the profound respect for Carter’s legacy, particularly his role in fostering strong ties between the United States and Nigeria.
Amid the high cost of electricity and incessant power fluctuations, Nigerian Breweries Plc has got approval to generate captive power in its offices located in Abia, Oyo, and Enugu states.
Cumulatively, Nigerian Breweries is generating up to 41MW in the four stations.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission disclosed this in a report, saying the permits were granted in the third quarter of 2024.
Following the signing of the Electricity Act 2023, many companies appear to be leaving the national grid to generate their own power.
According to the NERC, captive power generation permits are issued to entities that intend to own and maintain power plants exclusively for their consumption. This means there is no sale of electricity generated from the plant to any third party.
The commission said it approved the grant of captive power generation permits to 11 applicants with a gross capacity of 63.36 megawatts.
Also, six Nigerian universities and the Nigerian Defence Academy were given permits to generate captive electricity.
The University of Abuja got a permit to generate 3MW; University of Calabar & Teaching Hospital, Cross River State is generating 7MW; University of Agriculture Micheal Okpara, Umetuke, Abia State, 3MW; University of Maiduguri & Teaching Hospital, Borno State, 12MW; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Main Campus, Ogun State, 3MW; and the Federal University Gashuwa, Yobe State, 1.50MW.
The Nigerian Defence Academy, a military university based in Kaduna got NERC’s nod to generate 2.50MW of electricity.
Last year, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed that the Federal Government had approved electricity subsidies for tertiary education and health institutions to address their concerns following the removal of subsidies in areas categorised under Band A feeders.
After the Federal Government removed subsidies from customers in Band A and upgraded their daily electricity supply to a minimum of 20 hours daily, universities and public hospitals cried out that their bills had skyrocketed.
The College of Medicine of the University of Lagos and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital cried out over what they described as an outrageous electricity bill charged by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company.
The institutions said they were jointly presented with a bill of about N280m for May instead of the less than N100m they used to pay.
The monthly bill given to UNILAG jumped from N180m to N300m.
The Federal University of Technology, Akure had its bill raised from N20m to N60m by the Ibadan DisCo.
At the University of Benin, the tariff was hiked from N80m monthly to N250m.
The Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, Ogun State, Prof. Ademola Tayo, said in July that the institution paid N300m as electricity tariff in May, lamenting that the high electricity tariff was a great threat to quality education in Nigeria.
Aside from the high cost of energy, many Nigerian institutions are also battling low supply and fluctuations coupled with repeated grid collapses.
With permits to generate captive power, Nigerian Breweries and academic institutions will have a stable power supply to run their daily activities.
Within the period under review, the commission certified seven Meter Service Providers, five-meter installer companies, and two-meter manufacturers.
The commission also issued 22 permits for Meter Asset Providers within the period even as it issued 50 orders to guide the activities of licensees.
Former Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Dr. Tony Ikpasaja, has stepped in the saddle as the Managing Director of Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS).
Ikpasaja, who was recently appointed by the State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has now resumed duty following the retirement from the State Civil Service of the former Managing Director, ESV Osaro Grace Aihie.
Ikpasaja, who resumed on Monday, January 6th, 2025, met with top management staff members of the Agency, outlining the expectations from the Governor of the State.
He was subsequently conducted round the various departments and units.
He interacted with members of staff on the operations of the agency and charged the management and staff members to work as a team.
He underscored the need to upscale their strategy to take the agency to greater heights..
Ikpasaja holds a Ph.D. from the University of Abuja, specialising in infrastructure development and multinational agencies.
He started his journalism career in the Vanguard newspapers and later joined Thisday Newspapers from where he was appointed as Press Secretary to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, BOT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih in 2003.
He was also a Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor of Edo state in 2007 and Special Assistant (Media) at the Federal Ministry of Works in 2011.
Ikpasaja is also a trained data analyst and worked at the Road Sector Development Team (RSDT), a World Bank/FG Collaborative Agency, from 2015 to 2021.
Dr. Ikpasaja was also a lecturer at the University of Abuja until last year and a member of the 2024 Transition Committee in Edo State.
Until his new appointment, he was the Principal Private Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo.
As a team player, he brings to the table a wealth of experience from the media, ICT, and infrastructure development sector.
His hobbies include lawn tennis and football. Ikpasaja is married to Mrs. Kate Ikpasaja, and both have three lovely children.
PDP Crisis Hits Rooftop Over Emergence Of Two National Secretaries
Just in: US Embassy In Nigeria To Be Closed
Power Palaver: Nigerian Breweries, varsities get permits to generate electricity
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News23 hours agoUK spreads travel entry scheme to US, Canada, Australia
-
News23 hours agoInsecurity! DHQ confirms 6 soldiers dead during ISWAP raid in Borno
-
News16 hours agoNigeria Won’t Break Ties With France Over Niger, Others
-
News16 hours agoPortugal Football Club Signs on 19-Year-Old Nigerian- born Footballer, Yaqub Usman-Malah
-
News12 hours agoAfter firing 27 officers with itchy fingers, EFCC reportedly loses over $350k, jewelries
-
Politics23 hours agoFear grips APC spokesperson, Morka says ” family received over 400 death threats” after he allegedly threatened Obi
-
News16 hours agoYouth Confab Is A Plan To Compensate Seyi Tinubu’s Friends, Not Nigerian Youths – Sowore
-
News16 hours agoCourt jails man seven years for stealing phone