The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that his administration’s proposed bill on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers adheres to international standards and obligations, promoting the right to an adequate living wage.
In his Democracy Day speech on June 12, President Tinubu announced, “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.”
However, in a letter dated June 15, 2024, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization expressed concerns that the proposed minimum wage level in the executive bill is significantly inadequate. SERAP argued that it falls short of the requirements of international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a party.
SERAP emphasized that the executive bill should align with international standards, ensuring Nigerian workers receive at least a living wage that corresponds with the cost of living. The letter stated, “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.”
The organization highlighted the persistent and systematic violations of these guarantees by successive governments, resulting in millions of Nigerian workers remaining in poverty due to low wages and lack of social security and protection.
“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,” the letter continued.
SERAP underscored that its recommendations are realistic and grounded in 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,” SERAP stated.
