In a period like this that Nigerians are crying of hunger & unemployment, the federal government of Nigeria has proposed that in furtherance to its determination to attain a decent work agenda which involves opportunities for works that are productive and deliver a fair income, security in workplace, and social protection for families by the third quarter of this year, *"a new minimum wage will be announced for the country"*. This was made known on the 26th day of the month of February, 2018, through the Minister of Labour & Employment, Chris Ngige.
As a group with development as its focal point, the *Initiative For Change & Development(ICD)* hugs the courage, decision and proposal of the federal government of Nigeria to announce a new minimum wage for the country in the third quarter of this year 2018( being September).
The good about the new minimum wage proposal is that, workers salaries will be upgraded. That will help to service additional responsibilities. For instance, if a family man with three children is only able to send his two children out of the three to school, provides monthly feeding, shelter and clothings from a salary of N57,000 as at this era of N18,000 minimum wage, when a new minimum wage is announced in the month of September 2018, he will be able to send the third child to school and probably service other responsibilities, drawing from the fact that his salary would have increased. His poverty level would have been greatly reduced. The new minimum wage will to a greater extent stabilise the Nigerian workers thereby giving birth to quality productivity and enhancement in the country's revenue.
The new minimum wage announcement and implementation which is a veritable strategy to alleviate poverty, will invoke the confidence of Nigerians on the federal government, and as such, we urge the government to keep to its Promise. Keeping to its promise automatically will provides campaign messages if the government intends to return for a second tenure.
As a group that immersed in the recipes, tenets and strategies for development, we again register our pleasure with regard to the new minimum wage proposal, success recorded in the areas of security, recovery of looted funds, etc. We urge the federal government to concretize and sustain the sucess. It should put in more effort in ensuring that 75% of ongoing projects are concluded before the end of its first tenure in office.
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