PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has, again, promised to implement a new minimum wage for workers in Nigeria and provide better electricity for citizens. He made these promises while delivering a New Year speech on January 1, 2024.
“The economic aspirations and the material well-being of the poor, the most vulnerable, and the working people shall not be neglected. It is in this spirit that we are going to implement a new national living wage for our industrious workers this new year. It is not only good economics to do this; it is also a morally and politically correct thing to do,” he said.
Following the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of the naira, Tinubu promised an upward review of the national minimum wage for Nigerian workers while delivering a speech in July 2023.
On August 1, 2023, members of the House of Representatives also promised to hasten the passage of the new minimum wage once it is reviewed, but after several months, the increase has yet to take effect.
In his New Year address, Tinubu said he had facilitated a new deal with Germany to hasten improved electricity for Nigerians.
“Just this past December during COP28 in Dubai, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and I agreed and committed to a new deal to speed up the delivery of the Siemens Energy power project that will ultimately deliver a reliable supply of electricity to our homes and businesses under the Presidential Power Initiative which began in 2018.
“Other power installation projects to strengthen the reliability of our transmission lines and optimise the integrity of our National grid are ongoing across the country. My administration recognises that no meaningful economic transformation can happen without a steady electricity supply,” he said.
He encouraged Nigerians to remain resilient despite the high inflation and rising cost of living, describing them as part of the economic recovery process.
Tinubu also disclosed that his administration had plans to cultivate 500,000 hectares of farmland across the country for constant food supply.
By Ijeoma Opara
