Hard pressed by the biting economic recession a cross section of Nigerian workers has said that only a significant review of the nation’s minimum wage would ameliorate the suffering of workers in the country.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige had recently restated Federal Government’s readiness to raise the minimum wage which currently stands at N18, 000 while the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba said the labour union had settled for N56, 000.
But a section of Nigerians who spoke to Sunday Sun said the proposal by the NLC was grossly inadequate considering the inflationary trend in the country.
A civil servant, Mrs. Judith Adimefe said since the prices of goods and services had more than quadrupled since the minimum wage was fixed for N18,000, only a minimum wage in the region of N100,000.00 would ease the suffering of the Nigerian workers.
“As at the time the minimum wage of N18,000.00 was agreed, prices of food items, for instance, were still within the reach of the common people. For instance, a bottle of groundnut oil which was sold for N100.00 about three to four years ago, now sells for N600.00, an increase of 500 per cent. The same goes for other food items like rice, garri, pepper etc. It is only logical to say that the government should consider an upward review of 500 per cent to the current minimum wage. By this, they should be looking at N100, 000.00 for the least paid person in the country,” she said.
Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Ephraim Oladele, a school teacher, described the current minimum wage as too demeaning and dehumanising, saying no Nigerian can survive on N18,000 monthly pay. “Anytime the minimum wage is mentioned, what comes to my mind is how possible is it for anybody to survive in Nigeria of today with N18,000; not even a five-year old child. It is very demeaning and dehumanising for any adult to go home with N18,000 as salary at the end of the month. What can he or she do with that?” he queried adding that, “no Nigerian worker deserves anything less than N100,000.00 monthly pay.”
Another Nigerian, Abdulrasheed Usman, warned the government and the organised labour to tread cautiously on the issue of minimum wage, saying the current minimum wage proposal could be counterproductive if not properly handled.
Usman, who observed that the upward review of minimum wage could further worsen inflationary rate in the country, said the current minimum wage was a mockery of the dignity of labour. “To say that the national minimum wage is too small is an understatement; it is indeed a mockery of dignity of labour. Rather than clamour for salary increment which is most likely to push inflation higher further, I would suggest the government looks inwards to see how it can reduce the burden of Nigerian workers in the areas of accommodation and transportation because these are the two major areas an average Nigerian worker spends the larger chunk of his salary. But where the government fails to do this, an average Nigerian worker will need to earn a wage of nothing less than N100,000.00 to be able to live a relatively decent life,” he said.

Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/nigerians-demand-n100000-minimum-wage

it is long overdue for that. even the 100,000 can no longer buy me my inner vest and boxers that i usually use again.

You can say that again. Really long overdue

UDbester:
it is long overdue for that. even the 100,000 can no longer buy me my inner vest and boxers that i usually use again.

UDbester:
it is long overdue for that. even the 100,000 can no longer buy me my inner vest and boxers that i usually use again.

Oga, 100k for boxers?

Hahahahaha!!!!! Nir be small something o!

rookidmart:
Oga, 100k for boxers?

eloti:

A civil servant, Mrs. Judith Adimefe said since the prices of goods and services had more than quadrupled since the minimum wage was fixed for N18,000, only a minimum wage in the region of N100,000.00 would ease the suffering of the Nigerian workers.

But where the government fails to do this, an average Nigerian worker will need to earn a wage of nothing less than N100,000.00 to be able to live a relatively decent life,” he said.

Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/nigerians-demand-n100000-minimum-wage

I dey laff #in Obj's voice. Who will pay her 100k as minimum wage? It's like some people are still living in denial of the sorry state of the economy. Even if the government decides to up the minimum wage to 500k per month it will not solve the problem. They will only be scratching the surface.
1. We have overpopulation problem. People breeding and birthing 5 to 6 children and strangulating the small available resources in the country. Going the China way of 1 child policy might not be a bad idea.
2. We need to solve the issue of power and provide[b] 24HRS electricity[/b]. This will serve as booster for local industrialization.
3. Tax the hell out of religious houses/institutions and owners of unnecessary luxury goods like Private Jets.
4. Revoke the licence of oil blocks.
5. Tourism! Tourism! Tourism! Chei, so much potential for revenue generating here. Cross River state is trying sha. Example: We can create some touristic sites in Lagos and Abuja where International flight passengers on transit through Nigeria can land in the morning, have a quick 2 to 3 hours visits of the sites, spend some dollars to buy souvenirs and take off to their final destination later in the day. Egypt is doing this already.
6. Cancel all these yeye Project fame type of shows where 10 million naira is doled out to one person meanwhile people with solid small business ideas are looking for such amount even as loans. Check here: https://www.nairaland.com/3527064/boi-yes-programme-big-deceit This point might not be solid as MTN and co might ask me if it is my money ...LOL

The list of actions the FG can take is inexhaustive. Note that I did not mention diversifying into Agriculture because that one is an overflogged issue!