Senator Orji Kalu Recommends ₦90,000 As New Minimum Wage

Abia North Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, has recommended a new minimum wage of ₦90,000 for Nigerian workers.

The lawmaker made the suggestion during plenary on Tuesday while contributing to a debate on the ongoing dispute over the minimum wage between the federal government and organized labour.

He argued that stakeholders should be able to settle for anything between ₦75,000 to ₦90, 000 naira.

Speaking against the backdrop of the nationwide strike organized by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) to advocate for a significantly increased minimum wage, surpassing the current ₦30,000, Kalu said it would be good if the lawmakers can prevail on all parties to agree specifically on ₦90,000 as the new minimum wage.

The former Abia State Governor submitted that though it might be difficult for the private sector to pay the amount, they must find a way to do it.

“Sixty thousand might sound very good let the entire Senate see how we can persuade both Labour and the Federal government to agree between N75,000 to N90, 000 naira.

“If you go by 90,000 naira , it means in the last five years in which this law (30,000naira) was made , it means if you divide 200 percent of N90,000 by 5 it will give you 40 and the food inflation, the purchasing parity and other things you have in the market its also around 32 to 33% so Labour should be very happy with what We are doing.

“Let us send a Senate delegation to the Federal Government and the Labour Party with the proposal of 90,000 naira and all the parties should agree to that.

“Pulling down the National Grid Mr. President is not an easy job and it might take up to three to four days for it to come up , shutting down and starting a National grid is a problem.

“The Federal Government and the Labour should be cautioned to come to an agreement. Though it’s going to be difficult for the private sector to pay, they must manage,” he said.