Beyond Minimum Wage, Consider Essential Goods And Services

As the Federal Government of Nigeria and the organized labour in the country negotiate on what to pay government workers a new minimum wage and set a benchmark for the payment of new salaries in Nigeria, it is important that both government and the labour movement should know that the standard of living for the average worker and indeed resident of the country goes beyond just paying wages. It is more important to create an atmosphere where incomes earned or money available to households have value and can purchase goods and services of value to them.
Since May 29, 2023 when the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office, the cost of living has steadily risen beyond the reach of the average household. The price of petroleum products have quadrupled after government withdrew subsidy from fuel. Average households that depending on kerosene for cooking can no longer afford to buy the product for cooking. Those that fuel their cars and generators to move around and generate electricity for their use in the home have to cough up more than they can earn to do so. Manufacturing companies that depended on diesel to produce have packed up and the people have to depend on importation for finished and semi-finished products. With the naira left floating, the value of the naira has plummeted and today is valued at N1500 against the dollar. All these have combined with a general high unemployment level to make life very difficult for households.
Even with a national minimum wage of N30,000 a month, 99 percent of the households in Nigeria can no longer afford decent meals let alone meet up with the daily requirements of the household. At N1,800 for a loaf of bread, the household whose breadwinner is paid N30,000 a month cannot feed the family with one loaf of bread a day. To buy one loaf of bread a day means that it will require N54,000 a month to buy only a loaf of bread a day.
So, in negotiating for new minimum wages, both government and the labour leaders should carry along commitments that will make petroleum products available and affordable, for electricity to also be available to both households and manufacturers. Government should increase its investment in agriculture, food production and social services. The banks have to be made to know their roles in giving credit facilities to farmers and small scale businesses that are the livewire of the economy.
While we await the resolution of the negotiations between labour and government on minimum wage, we also expect that they will soon begin talks on how to make food, petroleum products, jobs and social services available and accessible to the people.
Kote Gwenwi, Alesa Eleme, Rivers State. 08033201592