CONTEXT
On Monday June 5, 2023, a Twitter user claimed that in the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s rule, the government never increased minimum wage and allowances for National Youth Corp Members (NYSC). He added that the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in just eight years ensured increased minimum wages and NYSC allowances.
He wrote, “PDP didn’t increase minimum wage or NYSC allawee [allowance] throughout the 16 years they were in the helm of affairs (1999-2015) APC increased the minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000 and NYSC allawee from N19,800 to N33,000(2015-2023) 8 years. How many states in Nigeria actually pay the minimum wage that was INCREASED?” As of the time of this report, the tweet has over 139,000 views and has been liked and retweeted hundred of times.
Background
Nigeria’s minimum wage Act stipulates a minimum wage review after every five years. The national minimum wage was reviewed and approved by the former president in 2019, this moved the minimum wage from 18,000 to N30,000. Based on this 5-year provision, Nigeria is due for another minimum wage review by 2024.
The recent removal of fuel subsidy has sparked agitations for a new minimum wage to cushion the effect of the removal, which has now jacked up the price of fuel from N195 to about N540 per litre.
Subsequently, labour unions in a recent meeting with the federal government, demanded a minimum wage of N200,000 for Nigerian workers.
The newly elected president, Bola Tinubu, promised to work with relevant agencies to provide a new minimum wage for the country.
Claim I: PDP govt did not increase minimum wage
Verification
The CDD War Room found that in February 2011, the Nigerian Senate approved the N18,000 new national minimum wage for workers which was proposed by then president, Goodluck Jonathan. The proposed minimum wage at the time was increased from N7,500 to N18,000. The President subsequently signed the bill into law to commence the implementation of the Act.
The Act mandated every employer to pay a wage not less than the national minimum wage of N18,000 per month to every worker under them.
Verdict: False
Claim II: No NYSC allowance was increased in 16 years of PDP rule
Verification
Investigations by the CDD War Room also showed that the Federal Government under former President Goodluck Jonathan, approved an increase in the monthly allowance paid to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. It increased the allowance from N9,775 to N19,800, and took effect from March 2011.
The approval was done in July 2011. The then Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen Maharazu Tsiga, who announced the President’s approval said that the arrears would be paid to all serving corps members and those who had recently passed out frrom the program before the new increase.
Verdict: False