During the 2024 Democracy Day celebration at Eagle Square in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu faced boos and chants of “Minimum wage, Jagaban wage” from the crowd as he addressed the nation.
This incident occurred while the President waved to the attendees, marking a moment of visible public discontent amid ongoing economic hardships.
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In his Democracy Day speech, President Tinubu urged Nigerians to endure the economic reforms initiated by his administration, despite the severe inflation and increasing hardship.
He assured the public that he would not abandon them, stating, “We have negotiated the new minimum wage in good faith and will soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine the agreed-upon wage for the next five years or less.”
Tinubu also highlighted the recent negotiations with organized labor regarding a new national minimum wage, emphasizing the need for both political and economic democracy.
He called on the nation to work together towards a brighter future and acknowledged the necessity of reforms to establish a stronger foundation for growth.
The Nigerian government, led by President Tinubu, and the organized labor unions, including the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have been in a protracted negotiation over the upward revision of the national minimum wage from N30,000.
While the government has proposed a new minimum wage of N60,000, the labor unions have demanded N494,000 and have threatened to resume their suspended nationwide strike if their demands are not met.
