Nigeria Taiwo Oyedele Calls for Hourly Minimum Wage to Boost Productivity

Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy, advocates for an hourly minimum wage in Nigeria, linking it to worker productivity. He also suggests allowing civil servants to hold multiple jobs. His proposal aims to balance wage adequacy with productivity for sustainable economic growth.

Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has proposed a shift to an hourly minimum wage for Nigerian workers. In an interview with Channels TV in Abuja, Oyedele suggested rethinking the current minimum wage structure, advocating for wages to be calculated based on hours worked. He also recommended that civil servants be allowed to engage in additional jobs, barring any conflict with their primary government roles.

Oyedele emphasized the importance of linking wages to worker productivity. He argued that without measurable productivity standards, even a high minimum wage would quickly lose its value. “A N1 million minimum wage without productivity would soon be equivalent to N30,000,” he noted, stressing the need for a system that ties wages to output.

In his view, allowing civil servants to hold multiple jobs could enhance their earnings and contribute to overall productivity. He called for flexibility in civil service rules to permit such arrangements, provided there are no conflicts of interest and minimum government working hours are met.

Oyedele's comments come amid ongoing demands from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for a higher minimum wage. The unions initially proposed N459,000, citing the need for a living wage in light of current economic conditions. However, the federal government deemed this amount unsustainable, leading to a negotiated proposal of N250,000 by the unions and a counteroffer of N62,000 by the government.

Oyedele's suggestions highlight the need for a balanced approach that considers both wage adequacy and productivity to ensure sustainable economic growth