STORY: Nigerian government, labor unions agree on new minimum wage
SHOOTING TIME: July 18, 2024
DATELINE: July 20, 2024
LENGTH: 0:01:01
LOCATION: Abuja
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of street views in Nigeria
2. various of the marching 
3. various of the meeting between Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and labor unions
4. SOUNDBITE (English): MOHAMMED IDRIS, Minister of Information and National Orientation

STORYLINE:

The Nigerian government and the leadership of the country's organized labor on Thursday agreed on a new minimum wage for local workers, ending months of bickering over the welfare of employees in the most populous African country.
   
The government and representatives of the organized labor decided an over 100 percent increase in the new minimum wage at a meeting led by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris told reporters after the discussion.
   
Idris hinted that an executive bill would soon be sent to the national legislature for ratification.

SOUNDBITE (English): MOHAMMED IDRIS, Minister of Information and National Orientation
"We are happy to announce today that both the federal government and the organized labor have agreed on an increase on the 62,000 nairas (about 38 dollars) minimum wage. The new national minimum wage that we expected the president to submit to the National Assembly for legislation is 70,000 nairas (about 43 U.S. dollars)." 

This will be followed by massive investment in infrastructure and some welfare facilities to cushion the impact of economic hardship in the country, Idris said.
   
The minimum wage is statutorily reviewed every five years in Nigeria. The last minimum wage of 30,000 nairas (about 18 dollars) was agreed in 2019.
   
Amid a serious cost of living crisis in the West African country, labor unions pushed for the minimum wage to be raised to at least 250,000 nairas (about 154 dollars) to cushion the effect of the recent increase in fuel and electricity prices, as the government offered 62,000 nairas (about 38 dollars).
   
Early last month, the labor unions suspended a nationwide strike following the government's appeal for further negotiations on the minimum wage.
   
Joe Ajaero, head of the Nigeria Labor Congress, said the agreement reached on Thursday also touched on a review of the minimum wage every three years, as against every five years.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Abuja.
(XHTV)