President of the Nigeria Employment Consultative Association (NECA), Taiwo Ayodele Adeniyi has said that
70 percent of those in private sector of the nation’s economy have since been paying over N30,000 new national minimum wage to their workers.
Answering reporters questions at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday, July 17, Ayodele said: “already, even before the enactment of the national minimum wage, over 70 per cent of organized businesses in Nigeria are paying more than N30,000 as minimum wage.”
He noted that he minimum wage is essentially meant to serve as benchmark beneath which organized employers are not supposed to pay.
“So, when you follow the spirit and the letter of the law, it means they are not affected by the national minimum wage law because they are paying above that. I am talking of the private sector now. “But for the less than 30 percent that are not paying up to N30,000 in the private sector, I am pleased to announce that they are already implementing. Those of them that need to restructure their salary grades have already done that with the support of their organized body, NECA and we are fully compliant.
“What we are trying to do now is to encourage those that are not our affiliates, the informal sector to also key into the implementation of the national minimum wage. Like I said, we don’t have full control because they are not members of NECA. We are only mentoring and mobilizing them to ensure they comply with the law.”
