The Senate on Tuesday, July 23 instantly passed a law, the National Minimum Wage Act 2019 (Amendment Bill), which pushed the lowest amount payable to Nigerian workers to N70,000.
The Bill, which scaled first, second and third readings, just minutes after it was sent by President Bola Tinubu, was instantly passed by the Upper Chamber.
In a unanimous vote after a clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, the National Minimum Wage Bill scaled third reading and was passed.
Earlier, Tinubu sent the National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly and separately wrote the Senate and the House of Representatives requesting expedited consideration of a Bill for an Act to amend the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019 to increase the National Minimum Wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
The President also asked the lawmakers to reduce the time for periodic review of the national minimum wage from five years to three years and related matters.
Last week, Tinubu and the leadership of the Organised Labour agreed on ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
Tinubu in letters dispatched to the national assembly leadership asked the National Assembly to pass the minimum wage bill into law.
The letters were read by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house; and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Tuesday, July 23.
The Bill legalises the N70,000 minimum wage recently agreed between the Federal Government and organised labour.
Last week, Tinubu asked the National Assembly to increase the 2024 appropriation Act by N6.2 trillion,.with N3.2 trillion is for infrastructure projects and N3 trillion for recurrent expenditure that covers the new wage for Federal civil service workers .