The Nigerian Senate, on Tuesday passed the new minimum wage bill from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 barely a few hours after President Bola Tinubu’s request
The bill progressed through its first, second, and third readings on Tuesday, all within the span of an hour.
The majority leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, led the bill’s debate and clarified that lengthy negotiations between all parties involved resulted in the increased salary amount. “This is a short-term measure taken by the federal government to alleviate the situation in the country,” Bamidele stated.
Supporting the bill, Tahir Monguno, the chief whip, emphasized the necessity of adjusting the minimum wage to reflect current economic conditions.
“The review of the minimum wage used to be after every five years. It is now every three years,” Monguno stated.
“There is a need to review it and bring it in tandem with the realities of society.”
Following the debate, the Senate moved into the “committee of the whole” to approve the various clauses of the bill.
This legislative action comes on the heels of President Bola Tinubu’s recent request to the National Assembly to increase the 2024 appropriation Act by ₦6.2 trillion.
The president specified that ₦3.2 trillion would be allocated for infrastructure projects, while ₦3 trillion would cover recurrent expenditures, including the new national minimum wage.
