close_game
close_game

Nigeria passes minimum wage bill as authorities warn against protests

AFP |
Jul 24, 2024 12:56 AM IST

Nigeria passes minimum wage bill as authorities warn against protests

Nigeria's national assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to more than double the minimum wage for federal workers, with the authorities warning against protests over soaring living costs.

Nigeria passes minimum wage bill as authorities warn against protests
Nigeria passes minimum wage bill as authorities warn against protests

The monthly minimum wage is set to rise from 30,000 to 70,000 naira once President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gives his assent to the bill, which passed rapidly through the Senate and House of Representatives.

Lawmakers also reduced the review period for the wage from five years to three years.

Passing the bill was "important to the Nigerian people", said Senate president Godswill Akpabio from Tinubu's C party.

Africa's most populous nation has seen a series of labour strikes in recent months as unions pushed for an increase in the wage.

The cost of living spiked after Tinubu ended a costly fuel subsidy and eased foreign exchange controls following his inauguration in May last year.

Inflation hit record levels at 34.19 percent in June, with food inflation more than 40.87 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Unions agreed to the increase after a deadlock and months of negotiations, even though the hike was far less than they had demanded.

The new wage level applies to federal workers, from civil servants to airport staff and teachers.

The passage of the bill comes as calls have appeared online for Nigerians to join nationwide protests against Tinubu's policies, with some urging peaceful rallies from August 1 to "End Bad Governance in Nigeria".

But information minister Mohammed Idris said the president had urged demonstrators to hold off, according to Nigerian media.

"He's asked them to await the government's response," Idris told several newspapers.

Nigerian papers also reported that police chief Kayode Egbetokun had warned against attempts to replicate recent anti-government protests in Kenya.

"Some groups of people, self-appointed crusaders and influencers, have been strategizing and mobilising potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent Kenya protests," he was quoted as saying.

"While the force acknowledges the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in our constitution, we must ensure that these protests do not snowball into violence or disorder."

tba/lcm/js

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Read breaking news, latest updates from US, UK, Pakistan and other countries across the world on topics related to politics,crime, and national affairs along with Super Bowl 2025 Live Updates.
See More
Read breaking news, latest updates from US, UK, Pakistan and other countries across the world on topics related to politics,crime, and national affairs along with Super Bowl 2025 Live Updates.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On