Finance Minister Wale Edun assured the nation “there is no cause for alarm” after a critical meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday. Accompanied by Budget and Economic Planning Minister Atiku Bagudu, Edun refrained from disclosing specifics of their discussion, widely speculated to revolve around the ongoing national minimum wage deliberations.
The meeting follows President Tinubu’s Tuesday directive for Edun to present detailed financial implications for a revised minimum wage to the tripartite committee, which includes government, labour, and private sector representatives. This directive underscores the government’s commitment to resolving the contentious minimum wage issue, which has repeatedly stalled negotiations.
The recent tripartite committee session ended inconclusively as the government failed to present a new wage proposal, perpetuating the impasse. The government’s prior proposal of ₦60,000 was rejected by organized labour representatives.
Expectations are high as the government is set to unveil a new proposed figure at a crucial meeting scheduled for 2 pm today. This meeting is seen as pivotal, potentially ending the standoff between the government and labour unions over wage adjustments amidst rising living costs.