President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been called upon to ensure that his government’s proposed bill on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers is entirely consistent and compatible with Nigeria’s international obligations to promote and advance the right of workers to an adequate living wage.
The call was made by rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, through a statement issued by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
It would be recalled that President Tinubu had in his Democracy Day Speech on June 12 stated, “We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine the new minimum wage as part of our law for the next five years or less.”
Referring to its letter dated June 15, 2024, SERAP posited that “the reportedly proposed level of the minimum wage in the executive bill is grossly inadequate and falls short of the requirements of international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party.
“The executive bill should reflect the international standards that Nigerian workers should be provided, at a minimum, with a living wage, in accordance with costs of living.”
According to SERAP, “As you and your government know, Nigerian workers face many human rights challenges. Most of the people living in poverty work, yet they do not earn a wage sufficient to afford an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families.”
The group’s letter read in part: “Any proposed minimum wage that fails to guarantee a life in dignity for Nigerian workers and their families would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with international standards.
“Successive governments have persistently and systematically violated these guarantees. Millions of Nigerian workers remain poor due mainly to low wages and a lack of social security and social protection.”
SERAP which added that “If your government sends to the National Assembly any bill which fails to meet the requirements of international standards, and the bill is then passed into law, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest,” added that “the proposed recommendations are not unrealistic, as they are based on Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
“Human rights are not a matter of charity. Upholding Nigeria’s international obligations regarding the right of workers to an adequate living wage would protect the purchasing power of workers in poverty.
“The preparation of the executive bill provides you and your government an important opportunity to respect, protect, promote and advance the rights of Nigerian workers to an adequate living wage and fair remuneration.
“We urge you to take concrete steps to defend the rights of Nigerian workers to an adequate living wage.”