Nigerian Reps Demand Payment of Living Wages to Workers Amid Rising Inflation

The House of Representatives in Nigeria has called for the payment of living wages to Nigerian workers to address the rising rate of inflation in the country.

The House has ordered its Committee on Labour and Employment, Finance, and National Planning to work out the modalities for the payment of living wages to workers at rates that match economic realities.

A motion was sponsored by the Minority Leader, Kingsley China, and 37 other members, and the resolution was also transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.

The Federal Government has recently set up a tripartite committee to negotiate the minimum wage.

The motion was moved by Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Aliyu Sani Madaki (NNPP, Kano), who stressed that the rising inflation rate has made it difficult for average Nigerians to afford basic needs such as food, water, housing, education, healthcare, and transportation.

The cost of living has also increased due to the rise in the cost of food, accommodation, education, and transportation.

Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 23 of the Declaration states that “every individual who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration to ensure such a person and his or her family exist in dignity.”

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also require the payment of a living wage to be achieved.

The minimum wage in Nigeria was recently increased by the president, but the purchasing power is low due to the continued rise in the cost of living and the fall of the Naira.

The living wage for an individual Nigerian and a Nigerian family was reported to be N43,200 per month and N137,600 per month, respectively, in 2018 by Trade Economics.

No labourer can live in Nigeria with a wage of less than one hundred thousand Naira (N 100,000.00), and there is concern that the World Bank report shows a low purchasing power in the country due to high inflation, which has led to an increase in poverty.