The legislation amended two key issues in the National Minimum Wage Act 2019, increasing the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 and shortening the review period from five to three years.

Speaking at the plenary after the bill was passed, Akpabio said Nigerians can no longer pay any domestic worker below ₦70,000. He stated, “The bill says that if you are a tailor and you employ an additional hand, you cannot pay the person below ₦70,000. If you are a mother and you have a newborn child and you want to bring in a housemaid to look after your child, you cannot pay that housemaid below ₦70,000.

“It is not maximum wage. It applies to all and sundry. If you bring in a driver, if you bring in a gateman — you cannot pay that gateman below ₦70,000. So, I am very delighted that this has been passed and we now look forward to employers of labor going ahead to improve on what has been set as a benchmark for all and sundry to follow.

“So, I congratulate the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), I congratulate all Nigerians, and I congratulate the senate and the national assembly in general for this epoch-making legislation which has even reduced the time of negotiation from five years to three years in view of the soaring effect of foodstuff. It is now necessary that we review it every three years instead of five years.”

However, Akpabio’s remarks have generated significant reactions on social media, with many questioning his claim and the feasibility of paying one’s workers such an amount.

Verifying Akpabio’s Claim

A review of the National Minimum Wage Act 2019 by TheCable shows that not every employer is obligated to pay the minimum wage. Section 3 (1) of the act states that every employer shall pay the national minimum wage to every worker under his or her establishment. According to the law, any agreement for the payment of wages less than the national minimum wage is void. But there are exceptions.

Section 4 of the act stipulates that the minimum wage requirement does not apply to employers with fewer than 25 employees. According to the law, an establishment with the following employees is exempted from the minimum wage: (a) part-time basis, (b) commission or piece-rate; (c) establishment employing less than 25 persons; (d) workers in seasonal employment like agriculture; and (e) any person employed in a vessel or aircraft to which the laws regulating merchant shipping or civil aviation apply.

Verdict

Based on the National Minimum Wage Act 2019, Akpabio’s claim that any employer who hires a maid or gatekeeper will pay ₦70,000 minimum wage is false.