The Federal Government has warned private employers that failure to pay the new minimum wage of N70,000 will result in imprisonment.

The declaration was made at the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, by John Nyamali, Director of Employment and Wages.

Nyamali represented Kachollom Daju, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

According to him, paying less than N70,000 is now a punishable crime.

The government said that no Nigerian worker should earn less than N70,000, and private employment agencies must ensure contracts reflect this minimum wage.

“The minimum wage is now a law, and as a result, it is a punishable crime for any employer to pay less than N70,000 to any of its workers. Emphasizing the necessity of the updated wage to address current economic conditions, the government asserted that no Nigerian worker, whether in public or private employment, should earn less than this minimum.

“The private employment agencies should make it compulsory in any contract they take from their principal that their workers should not earn less than the minimum wage. The least paid worker in Nigeria should earn N70,000, and I think that should be after all deductions.

The minimum wage is a law, and you can be jailed if you fail to implement it. The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that the least paid worker goes home with N70,000,” she said.

In his take, Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo, President of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, called for clarity on whether the N70,000 minimum wage applies net or gross. He urged the government and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to address any ambiguities in the Act.

Also, Funmilayo Sessi, Chairperson of the NLC, Lagos State chapter urged private employers to promptly implement the N70,000 minimum wage.